From the Desk of George Friedman

In the fifth installment of this series, I will focus on the origins of the United States and the geographical elements that were critical in defining American politics, strategy and culture. In particular, three geographical features defined the English colonies and helped shape the United States into the country it is today. (click to enlarge) […]

Elite universities are once again looking for social conformists rather than disrupters.

I’ve now shared three fragments of my next book on geopolitics with GPF readers. One on philosophy and geopolitics, one on historical determinism and one outlining a new geopolitical model for the current global system. The first intrigued readers and the third left you cold. But the second raised hackles, so it’s the second I […]

The countries that aligned to help protect Assad may be reconsidering their allegiances.

Note: I have received a staggering number of comments from readers on the first two installments in this series. As most of you know, we at GPF try to answer all of the emails we get from our readers. In this case, that hasn’t been possible. So instead, I will devote next week’s installment to […]

As the United States alters its strategy, the others will follow suit.

I began this series with thoughts on Athens and Jerusalem not only because they were the roots of Christianity and Western civilization but because they both encountered Persia, in different ways and toward different ends. This leads me to the question: What determines the fates of nations and cities? In part, it is the question […]

Putin has invoked the crisis to revive the perception of Russia as a superpower.

The NATO divide is not just a trans-Atlantic split but a European one as well.

The lessons learned through the collapse of his regime remain with us today.