The Return of Great Power Competition

In Asia, China’s Long Game Beats America’s Short Game
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/12/china-us-asean-trade-geopolitics/

America’s Cold Wars
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/issue-packages/2021-10-19/divided-world
America, China, and the Echoes of History
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-10-19/new-cold-war
 
The Myth of Russian Decline
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russian-federation/2021-10-19/myth-russian-decline
 
The messages for China and the US in Putin’s trip to India
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159330/messages-china-and-us-putins-trip-india
Related:

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3159245/india-russia-ties-why-putin-modi-arms-deals-are-problem-both

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/india-russia-ties-in-a-changing-world-daily-star-columnist 

The new Great Game: Central Asia struggles to balance three powers
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/The-new-Great-Game-Central-Asia-struggles-to-balance-three-powers

Related:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/What-are-China-and-Russia-up-to-in-Afghanistan

Covid Malaise

Covid Malaise
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/briefing/us-economy-covid-malaise.html
Why do Americans say the economy is in rough shape? Because it is 

We’re Living Through the ‘Boring Apocalypse’
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/opinion/covid-omicron-psychology-fear.html

International Travel in the Pandemic Era

The Documents You Need to Travel Abroad Now
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/travel/international-travel-documents-covid.html 

The Case for Public R&D Spending

David Leonhardt notes:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/09/briefing/federal-scientific-research-democrats-stalled.html
“This story is common across the history of technological progress. Individual businesses often can’t afford to spend much on basic scientific research. Its outcomes are too uncertain for any one company to know which research will be profitable. In many cases, research that seems likely to benefit one industry ends up benefiting a different one.
Only the federal government tends to have the resources to make these investments. After it does, private companies then use its fruits to develop innovative and profitable products, spurring economic growth and tax revenues that comfortably cover the cost of the original research”. 

Related:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/09/elon-musks-diatribe-against-subsidies-ignores-history-tech-industry/

Religion, Authoritarianism, and Economic Underdevelopment

Understanding the history and politics behind Pakistan’s blasphemy laws
https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-history-and-politics-behind-pakistans-blasphemy-laws-173570 

Related:
https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/the-dilemma-over-the-blasphemy-law-in-pakistan/

The mob killing of a factory manager in Pakistan comes amid surge in anti-blasphemy violence
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/24/pakistan-blasphemy-violence-labbaik/

Mixed Signals - Stock Market versus Bond Market

Stock-Market Bravado Tested as Bonds Flash Fed Policy Danger
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-11/stock-market-bravado-tested-as-bonds-flash-fed-policy-danger 

2021 Prize in Economic Sciences Lectures