FM newswire for March 23, interesting articles about geopolitics

Today’s links to interesting news and analysis, collected from around the Internet. If you find this useful, pass it to a friend or colleague.

1. Where does US foreign aid go?  For an answer see “Worst in Aid: the Grand Prize“, William Easterly and Laura Freschi, AidWatch, 15 March 2010 — The chart includes only civilian aid to developing nations (i.e., Israel not included, nor is military assistance).
2. “Could The US Become Another Ireland?“, Peter Boone and Simon Johnson, the Baseline Scenario, 18 March 2010
3. Clear statement of the blindingly obvious:  “Drawing the Right Lessons From Iraq“, Michael, AOL News, 19 March 2010
4. Best collection of commentary on the Health Care bill:  “Passage of Moderate RomneyCare Drives Republicans Insane“, Brad Delong, 21 March 2010
5. “Ten immediate benefits of HCR“, karoli, Crooks and Liars, 21 March 2010
6. “Desert storm blankets most of North China“, China Daily, 22 March 2010 — “Is expanding desertification raising the severity of sandstorms?”
7. Good news:  “Wind contributing to Arctic sea ice loss, study finds“, The Guardian, 22 March 2010 — “New research does not question climate change is also melting ice in the Arctic, but finds wind patterns explain steep decline.”
8. China might be at a major inflection point:  “Trade deficit likely in March“, China Daily, 22 March 2010 — Glenn B. Maguire of Société Générale predicted last Fall that China’s trade balance would go from mega-surplus to deficit this year.
9. This is the real pipeline story, not the specious “Pipelineistan”:  “China’s Oil Security Pipe Dream“, Andrew S. Erickson and Gabriel B. Collins, Naval War College Review, Spring 2010 — “The reality and strategic consequences of seaborne imports”

Sobering thought for the day

Has the science of propaganda matured?  Or have we changed?  Either way, coarse propaganda has come to drive an astonishing range of American public issues on both right and left.  It seems immune to debunking.  Of course, people still try. As Jane Meyer does in this book review:

• “Counterfactual – A curious history of the C.I.A.’s secret interrogation program“, Jane Mayer, New Yorker, 29 March 2010 — Review of Courting Disaster by Marc A. Thiessen