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Welcome to The Global Dispatches and Happy New Year from us,
This month a heavy dose of politics to kick off the year: Eva Nanopoulos, College Lecturer in Law at King’s College, University of Cambridge explains that a defeat of the radical left party Syriza in the upcoming Greek elections would not only mean a win for the conservative ‘New Democracy’ party. It would also testify to the growing prevalence of a ‘neo’ – and largely distorted – version of democracy; Joydeep Gupta and Liu Hongqiao on how the deep differences between developed and developing countries on how to divide the cost of tackling climate change blocked agreement at the Lima Climate Summit; Edward Muir, the Clarence L. Ver Steeg Professor in the Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University with an entertaining article on the battle of wits between Jesuits and Libertines in 17th Century Italy; Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese politics and director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and associate fellow of Chatham House examines the meaning of loyalty within China's party elite and much more....
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 | Gabriel Naudé, the French free-thinker and Cardinal Mazarin’s librarian, famously claimed that seventeenth-century Italy was “full of libertines, atheists, and people who believe in nothing. |
 | Updated for August 2017. Every month we recommend a few classic music CDs that rarely see the light of day. This month sees: Incredible Bongo Band, Jesus Guerrero, Budos Band, Dead Combo, Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos, Ali Khattab and The Cairo Jazz Band get main billing. |
 | A defeat of the radical left party Syriza in the upcoming Greek elections would not only mean a win for the conservative ‘New Democracy’ party. It would also testify to the growing prevalence of a ‘neo’ – and largely distorted – version of democracy explains Eva Nanopoulos, College Lecturer in Law at King’s College, University of Cambridge. |
 | The pieces for a political deal to end the Syrian civil war are coming together — if Ankara will let them. |
 | What determines political survival among China's party elite? Where are the traps that ensnare men like Zhou Yongkang and Ling Jihua? The ambiguities of loyalty are a useful way to bring these questions into focus. |
 | A proposed dam on the Mekong River would provide energy for the region, but at a significant environmental cost. "Great Gamble on the Mekong", a new documentary from filmmaker and journalist Tom Fawthrop, insightfully details the probable dire consequences of this dam. |
 | The election victory of Béji Caid Essebsi is a vital moment in the pioneer country of the Arab revolts. It also reveals the scale of Tunisia's economic challenges. "The new Tunisian leaders will also need western countries to put their money where their mouths are". |
 | Israel has gone on the rampage in Gaza three times in six years. Norman Finkelstein's latest book is a devastating assault on the myths that make the massacres possible. |
 | Deep differences between developed and developing countries on how to divide the cost of tackling climate change are blocking agreement at the Lima summit. |
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