Editor’s Picks: December 21st 2020

<p>A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/the-year-when-everything-changed?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reflecting on the plague year</a>, <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/why-democracy-failed-in-the-middle-east?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ten years after the Arab spring</a> (9:50), and <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/12/19/what-if-ceos-memos-were-clear-and-honest?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">what if CEOs’ memos were clear and honest?</a> (15:30).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Please subscribe to <em>The Economist</em> for full access to print, digital and audio editions:</p><p><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastoffer?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/podcastoffer</a> </p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>