The FPA’s Must Reads (May 10 – May 16 )

The Emperor Uncrowned: The rise of Narendra Modi
The Caravan
By Vinod K Jose

Today, Narendra Modi, a man so controversial he was at one point banned from entry into the U.S. and called a dangerous neo-fascist, claimed victory as prime minister of the world’s largest democracy, India. Vinod K Jose’s profile of Modi, though now two years old, remains one of the most profound insights into this complex character.

Why Did AIDS Ravage the U.S. More Than Any Other Developed Country?
The New Republic
By Michael Hobbes

Michael Hobbes attempts to understand how an unfortunate combination of history, culture, and especially our policy choices, contributed to over a half a million deaths resulting from AIDS in the U.S.

Missing in the Mediterranean
Intelligent Life
By Caroline Moorehead

Each year thousands of migrants from Northern Africa and the Middle East risk their lives to make it to Europe, but, as Caroline Moorehead reports, the casualties of this desperate passage are growing.

Dave Eggers: The long ride to Riyadh
The New Statesman
By Dave Eggers

Novelist Dave Eggers takes a taxi ride through the Saudi desert with an unknown driver and is forced to consider the meaning of his, and his driver’s, nationality.

Uruguay and its Ex-Terrorist Head of State May Hold the Key to Ending the Global Drug War
Vice
By Krishna Andavolu

José Mujica’s life has been extraordinary to the point of fantasy, but this ex-guerrilla fighter and now President of Uruguay has now successfully passed legislation to legalize marijuana nationwide in attempt to combat the black market drug trade.

Blogs:

Israel has something its neighbors might want by Jordan Stutts
Freedom House: The Turkish Press is No Longer Free by Rachel Avraham
Is the GCC a Toothless Organization by Alireza Ahmadian
A Muslim Call to Partition the CAR by Gary Sands
Re-Thinking China’s Future by Michael Crowley