The Economist

APRIL 14TH-20TH 2018

End of the Castro era

Mr Zuckerberg goes to Washington

A cheaper Rea per

Panspermia: spreading life to the galaxy

Cool Germany

Onthecover Germanyis becoming more open an d diverse. With the right Leadership, it could be a model forthe West: Leader, page 9. A more plural and fragmented country will need to rethink manyingrained habits. See our spedal report after p age 40

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.. Volume 427 Number 9087

Published since September1843 to takepartin "oseverecontestbetween intelligence, whichpressesforword, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress. "

Editorialoffices in London an d also: Beijing, Berli n, Brussels, Cairo, Chicago, Madrid, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, Nai robi , New Delhi, NewYo rk, Pa ris, San Francisco, Siio Pau lo, SeouL Sha nghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Was hingto n DC

5 The world this week

Leaders 9 Geopolitics

Cool Germany 10 Facebook

Unmarked 10 War cri m es in Syria

The duty to deter 12 Brexit an d the economy

Brittle Britain 14 Undertakers

Death, disrupted

Letters 16 On Russia, political

divides, Martin Luther King, prison, trains

Briefing 20 Puerto Rico

After the hurricane

Europe 23 France

La République en grève 24 Hungary

Viktor victorious 24 Turkey and Greece

Rough seas 25 Azerbaijan's election

Stayin ' Aliyev 26 Conspiracy theories

Flights ofimagination 26 Russia

Foul play 27 Charlemagne

The perky Portuguese

Britain 28 Productivity

Fix up, look sharp 29 Assisted dying

An island enti re ofitself 30 Bagehot

A new party?

Middle East an d Africa 31 America's Syria policy

A devilish dilemma 32 Israel v Iran

More trouble in Syria 32 Gulf money in Somalia

A storm over a port

33 South Africa's opposition Ti me to regroup

34 Sierra Leone At last, a little hope

34 African farming The problem with maize

United States 35 Mark Zuckerberg

Face-off 36 The Republican Party

Saving private Ryan 37 Organicfarming

Corn beef 38 Philanthropy

Giver's remorse 38 Prison work

Capita l an d punishment 39 Schools

Discipline an d punish 40 Lexington

Trump and the law

Spedal report: Germany The new Germans After page 40

The Americas 41 Cuba

The Castros' long goodbye 42 Canada

Vancouver's Chinatown 43 Foreigners in Chile

A smaller welcome mat 44 Bello

Lula and Brazil's election

Asia 45 Elections in Indonesia

Voting for God 46 Investment in Vi etna m

Phone home 46 Tourism in South-East

Asia China whirl

47 Malaysian politics Malay melée

48 Sumo wrestling Stoutly sexist

49 Banyan Paranoid majorities

Syria Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons, again. Ifheis notpunished, othèrs wi ll do so, too: leader, page 10. Donald Trump an d his advisers agree o n a forceful response to chemical-weapons use in Syria, but not much else, page 31

Britain's economy Productivity is rising a t la st. O n its current course, Brexit threatens to undermine those gains: leader, page 12. Tentative signs that Britain 's single biggest economie problem is being fixed, p age 28

End of Castro era The revolutionary generati o n is leaving power. Whatcomes next? Page 41

~~ Contents continues overleaf

3

4 Contents j The Economist Apri l 14th 2018

Facebook Ma rk Zuckerberg an d his questioners in Congress fa il to reassure: leader, page 10. If Faceboo'k will notfix itself, will Congress do it? Page 35

Dismal science Economists understand little about the causes ofgrowth . The firstin a seri es of columns o n the profession's shortcomings: Free exchange, page 66

Undertakers Great news for the dead-the fu nera l industry is being shaken up: leader, page 14. Undertaking has long thrived o n a steady stream of loyal, uninformed customers. Changing norms, new businesses an d technology are challenging this, page 52

China 50 The Arctic

A "silk road" through ice 51 Davos in the tropics

The party woos the global elite

International 52 Death

Funerals ofthe future

Business 55 America's chemicals

industry Cracking on

56 Volkswagen New hands o n the wheel

57 Law-firm mergers Tra nsatla n tic trysts

57 Rakuten Downwardly mobile

58 Pipelines in Canada Three-ringed circus

59 Meal kits Sliced and diced

59 Shipping Smoke o n the water

Finance and economics 60 Shareholder activism

Voting with your pocket 61 US government debt

Shake it off 62 Buttonwood

Catching the bitcoi n bug 63 Sanctions on Russia

Investing o n the edge 63 Deutsche Bank

Yet another new boss 64 Anti-poverty programmes

Weaving safety nets 64 India's state finances

Who counts? 65 US-China trade

Drawing the battle li n es 66 Free exchange

Understanding growth ·

Scie n ce and technology 68 Spreading life to the

galaxy Long shots

69 Bo ne of contention Early humans

70 Neuroscience B rai n teaser

70 Innovation prizes Turning carbon into gold

Books an d arts 71 Fascism in the 21st

century March ofthe times

72 Art an d addiction Through a glass, humbly

72 Puttin' on the Ritz Sobercooks,tightshoes

73 Life after death row in Mississippi I knew I di d n't do it

74 Johnson Twelve confused men

76 Economie and financial indicators Statistics on 42 economies, plus our monthly poll of forecasters

Obituary 78 Louie Kamookak

T o Franklin's grave

Seeding other planets The idea of sending Earthly organisms to ali e n worlds is now being discussed, page 68

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