From Foreign Affairs, how dangerous are the Taliban? Why Afghanistan is the wrong war. An excerpt at The Myth of American Exceptionalism by Godfrey Hodgson (and more; and a review at Bookforum). Michael Scherer on the Obama Foreign Policy Doctrine. From Re-public, Arturo Valenzuela on the interrupted presidencies in Latin America; an article on populism, socialism and democratic institutions in Latin America. Limit the power of presidents, not their term in office: The problem in Latin American democracies is not presidential re-election — the problem is presidentialism. The inbreeding that ruined the Hapsburgs: A study finds the dynasty that dominated Europe for more than 500 years was undone by incest. A look at how the book world is taking on the false idols of our time. College students who are serious about their identification with their institution’s football and men’s basketball teams are more likely than other students to have homophobic and sexist attitudes. The first chapter from The Bounds of Reason: Game Theory and the Unification of the Behavioral Sciences by Herbert Gintis. An interview with Richard Posner, author of A Failure of Capitalism: The Crisis of 2008 and the Descent into Depression. Allan Sloan on structuring the Treasury's bet for a long-term payoff.
