Thursday Evening Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

Sudhir Tailang hits the nail on political and moral corruption with his take on what ails India's leading political parties, the Congress and the BJP; cartoon sourced from The Asian Age.

• If you had sat through my recent 220-minute session on the political, military, and economic rise of China, you may recall that I had discussed, at great length, how the hegemonic behavior of China toward its neighbours, especially in the South China Sea, is driving them into the embrace of the United States. AlJazeera has an interesting piece on The Philippines' seeking American help to counter aggressive China. 

• Look who's got a PR problem: The Muddle Kingdom. (Foreign Policy)

• New Pentagon (U.S. defence headquarters) rules blur line between physical and digital warfare. (Discover magazine) 

• Almost bankrupt Greece fails to agree on austerity measures before bailout talks. (Reuters)