by Sam Roggeveen
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22 December 2009 2:50PM
- UK monthly Prospect names its top public intellectuals of 2009, with economist Simon Johnson on top. I know my colleague Mark Thirlwell rates Johnson's Atlantic piece on the financial crisis very highly.
- Sending a single US soldier to Afghanistan for a year costs US$750,000 or more. Further details here.
- '...the number of Chinese Internet users is rising 56 percent a year, and stood at 253 million in July 2008.' Thomas Crampton summarises a McKinsey's report on social media in China.
- Chile well on the way to being considered a developed country.
- Richard Armitage on the decision to invade Iraq: 'Never to my knowledge, and I’m pretty sure I’m right on this, did the President [George W. Bush] ever sit around with his advisors and say, “Should we do this or not?” He never did it.' (H/t Armchair Asia.)
- It's been such a big year for the Lowy Institute, I'm exhausted just reading the end of year message from our Executive Director Michael Wesley.
