From Prospect, Australia's newly elected prime minister Kevin Rudd may yet usher in a new Australia. Rudd, glorious Rudd! Why the Labor leader won a landslide and what he might do now. How the Chinese became Australians: A review of Big White Lie: Chinese Australians in White Australia by John Fitzgerald. From In These Times, Slavoj Zizek on China’s valley of tears: Is authoritarian capitalism the future? What lessons can be drawn from China's spectacular and sustained economic growth? A review of China Road: A Journey Into the Future of a Rising Power by Rob Gifford. An article on China’s see-no-evil diplomacy. The gentle dragon: China's "charm offensive", through Confucius Institutes, wins allies around the globe. Going Down: Democracy once seemed ascendant in many East and Central Asian countries — not so much anymore. Rebuilding the legendary Silk Road: A US$18.7 billion project to rebuild deteriorating infrastructure across Central Asia. Daughter of the West: Tariq Ali on the Bhuttos. A review of In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir by David Devadas. A review of When a Tree Shook Delhi: The 1984 Carnage and its Aftermath by Manoj Mitta and H.S. Phoolka (and more). From In These Times, an article on the dark side of Russia’s rainbow. Moscow oil town: Petrodollars are fueling an unprecedented—but precarious—prosperity. An interview with Fritz Stern, author of Five Germanys I Have Known. From TLS, a review of Ireland: The Politics of Enmity 1789-2006 by Paul Bew and Luck and The Irish: A brief history of change 1970–2000 by R. F. Foster (and more). The introduction to Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference by Dipesh Chakrabarty. From Prospect, the discovery of the mineral coltan—essential for mobile phones—in a remote region of Congo has been a mixed blessing. A heart grows darker: Chaos reigns in the Central African Republic. An article on the last days of Zimbabwe. Africa's missing ingredients: How aid can be better directed to entrench development in sub-Saharan Africa. The 49er: Why Chavez will still be a force to reckon with for a long, long time. The end of the Bolivarian dream?: An interview with Andres Oppenheimer, author of Saving the Americas: The Dangerous Decline of Latin America and What the U.S. Must Do.
