Guide to Davos 2012

♦ Chinese novelists publish tales of military victory online, in the face of censorship.

♦ To avoid “perpetual war” with terrorists, Pres. Obama calls for fewer drone attacks.

President Obama’s speech on terrorism and drone warfare yesterday was a rare example of a president responding to criticism of a covert campaign, before a major scandal has broken. Better still , President Obama has done it, not with angry denial, paranoia, or increased secrecy, but with a rational attempt to take on board some of the more telling criticisms of the drone campaign. That said, I think there are still problems with the policy.