HomeFrom the Desk of George Friedman

From the Desk of George Friedman

Remembering al-Qaida

The United States invaded Afghanistan 20 years ago, soon after the attack on Sept. 11, 2001. By 2008, then-President Barack Obama made it a...

Texas on My Mind

Last weekend, my wife and I went to the town of Bandera, in the western part of the Texas Hill Country. (We live in...

The Unlikelihood of a War With China and Russia

Much has been made of China’s seemingly unending potential to invade Taiwan – nearly as much as Russia’s buildup near Ukraine, which many believe...

The Myth of a Rules-Based World

Two concepts have been constantly used in discussions of international relations of late. One is a liberal international order and the second is a...

China as a Third World Country

There is much discussion about the surging Chinese economy and the expanding international influence of China. There is no question that China’s economy has...

The Problem With Face Masks and Vaccinations

On Thursday, my wife and I got our second COVID-19 vaccination. I would like to go to a bar, strike up a conversation with...

On the Suez Canal and Chokepoints

I’ve often written about chokepoints – those narrow passageways, on land or at sea, that are essential for the movement of goods and people...

Russia, China and the United States: First Shots

Any time there is a new U.S. president, major powers set out to test him and lay the groundwork for future bargaining in potential...

Poetry and Forecasting

Earlier this week, I wrote an analysis about China’s strategy, the kind of piece that is what is expected in this industry. I end...

China’s Strategic Standpoint

One of the hardest problems of foreign policy is developing an accurate evaluation of a potential adversary’s intentions and capabilities, which are frequently separate...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Last week, I wrote about the disagreement over which course the United States should take in the fight against the coronavirus. I concluded by...

B-52s in the Middle East

For all the world’s vastness and complexity, my attention is constantly drawn back to the Middle East, where there is much to think about....

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