The Economist, January 22nd–28th 2011

Tunisia’s lesson for the Arabs Could the yuan replace the dollar? The science of sexual abstinence Black gold and tar sands january 22nD – 28th 2011 Economist.com Chinese mums: not that good really The rich and the rest A 14-page special report on the global elite When it comes time to transition from employee to employer, many turn just one of the reasons millions of mutual fund investors rely on our strategic their dreams come true. Talk to your financial advisor about mutual Summary prospectuses, if available, or prospectuses for the Funds containing objectives, risks, charges and expenses, and read the summary prospectus prospectus contain this and other information about the Fund. gsam.com You never stop growing.™ to their personal investments for capital. But that’s expertise and risk management experience to help funds from Goldman Sachs. more information may be obtained from your financial advisor. Please consider a Fund’s and the prospectus carefully before investing. The summary prospectus, and/or the Goldman, Sachs & Co. is the distributor of the Goldman Sachs Funds. © Goldman, Sachs & Co., 2010. All rights reserved. ♥ 2011 Φιναλ Ασσεµβλψ Τεαµ, Χαµρψ Ηψβριδ Γεοργετοων, Κεντυχκψ Το σεε τηε αττεντιον ουρ τεαµ βρινγσ το τηειρ ωορκ, ψου∏δ τηινκ εαχη χαρ ον τηε λινε ωασ τηειρ οων.Ψου∏λλ ⇒νδ τηισ σαµε πριδε ιν ουρ 10 Υ.Σ. πλαντσ ανδ νεαρλψ 200,000 πεοπλε, ινχλυδινγ ασσοχιατεσ, δεαλερσ ανδ συππλιερσ αλλ αχροσσ Αµεριχα. Μεετ τηε τεαµ ατ τοψοτα.χοµ /υσα The Economist January 22nd 2011 7 Contents 10 The world this week On the cover What to do (and not do) about inequality: leader, page 13. In the information age brainy people are rewarded with wealth and in uence: see our special report after page 58. The scale of inequality, page 71. The link between income disparity and the credit crunch: Economics focus, page 90 The Economist online Daily analysis and opinion from our 19 blogs, plus audio and video content, debates and a daily chart Economist.com/blogs E-mail: newsletters and mobile edition Economist.com/email Print edition: available online by 7pm London time each Thursday Economist.com/print Audio edition: available online to download each Friday Economist.com/audioedition Volume 398 Number 8717 First published in September 1843 to take part in "a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress." Editorial o ces in London and also: Atlanta, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Chicago, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Moscow, New Delhi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington DC Leaders 13 Inequality The rich and the rest 14 China’s currency The rise of the redback 15 Tunisia and the Arab world Let the scent of jasmine spread 16 Asian medical innovation Life should be cheap 16 Doing the deals in Russia How bad is BP? 18 The costs of drug prohibition Let them chew coca Letters 20 On gun control, Italy, public-sector unions, London’s bike-hire scheme, happiness Brie ng 31 Tunisia Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves? United States 35 Regulation and the Obama administration Red tape rising 36 De ning poverty Measure by measure 38 Filibuster reform Talking cure 40 Haley Barbour Inside man 40 Sargent Shriver’s passing Altruism personi ed 42 The cotton industry Bloom times 42 The states’ budgets In search of an answer 43 Lexington China in the mind of America The Americas 45 Organised crime in Central America The rot spreads 46 The coca leaf Storm in an Andean teacup 46 Brazil After the ood 47 Justice and Haiti Baby crawls back 47 Cuba and America The worm that turned Asia 49 Rail in South-East Asia China comes down the tracks 50 Japan’s cabinet The pol w