7 Sunday Readings - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

Sunday readings for you!

• Israel has gained access to airbases in Azerbaijan. Is the secular Muslim-dominated country of Azerbaijan turning into Israel's staging ground in the war against Iran? (Foreign Policy)

• “Business has really become the de facto substitute for Indian diplomatic engagement. And that works out nicely for India.” The growing role of India's private sector in determining the country's foreign policy. (New York Times)

• Nothing gives a man more of a sense of purpose, and there remains nothing more dignified, than hauling yourself out of bed and going to work. But some of those jobs that went away in the recession — some whole professions — are never coming back. What happens when you lose your job? (Esquire)

• Realpolitik, economic interests, ideals and the quest for freedom will shape the great game playing out in Myanmar, says Jaswant Singh, India's former foreign minister. (Al-Jazeera)

• The rise and fall of the world's most dangerous arms dealer. (New Yorker)

• Should Apple buy Twitter? (Business Week)

• Sharda Ugra says that the Bharat Ratna is bestowed for a lifetime of dedicated work to a cause. And so, Sachin Tendulkar will have to wait. (Outlook)

Last week, the Government of India stopped the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the killer of former Punjab chief minister, Beant Singh. In some sense this government action reflects the pursuit of communal politics, even at the cost of national security.
Sudhir Tailang caricatures votebank politics in this brilliant cartoon.