Editor’s Picks: January 17th 2022

<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/2022/01/15/welcome-to-the-era-of-the-bossy-state?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">beware the bossy state</a>, <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/15/boris-johnson-has-always-been-unfit-to-be-prime-minister?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Britain’s party-animal prime minister</a> (11:45) and, why <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/01/15/america-and-china-are-one-military-accident-away-from-disaster?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">America and China are one military accident away from disaster</a> (18:00)</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>