HomeFrom the Desk of George Friedman

From the Desk of George Friedman

From the European Buffers to the Intermarium

Russia has been in the process of reclaiming its buffer zones – the areas in its periphery such as the Caucasus, the Baltics, Central Asia and Eastern Europe that give Moscow strategic depth from potential enemies – for some time. But the problem of strategic depth runs both ways. At the end of World War […]

The Continuing Storm

It has been about two years since “The Storm Before the Calm: America’s Discord, the Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond” was...

America’s Wars and Failures

Sixty years ago, in 1962, the United States made the decision to go to war in Vietnam, deploying major ground and air forces to...

Russia, US and Ukraine: The State of Play

When nations negotiate, a quiet settles in before the threats begin. Such is the case now between the U.S. and Russia, which will soon...

The Russian Treaty Proposal

We have been operating with a model of Russia. Having lost its non-Russian territories with the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia is missing...

A Moment of Miracles

Judaism and Christianity share many things, but the thing most binding is the constant sense of the magnificent impossibility of the world: the miracle...

The Republic of COVID-19

The emergence of the omicron variant drives home an essential point: There is no evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will end. It might, but...

Ukraine, War and American Doctrine

During the Vietnam War, an American doctrine emerged whereby wars were primarily political and waging wars signaled to other powers that the U.S. was...

Russia and Ukraine: War or Bluff?

Two weeks ago, I wrote an analysis of Russian strategy titled “Russia’s Move.” Here’s a brief recap: When the Soviet Union collapsed, it lost...

From the Earth to the Moon

I spent the past few nights watching the series, “From the Earth to the Moon,” which depicts the American side of the space race....

The Debate Over America First

Since the 1930s, there has been a debate in the United States over a foreign policy based on “America First,” a nationalistic policy that...

Intelligence and Love

In the Bible, Matthew 5:44 enjoins you to love your enemies. The Jewish Passover Seder begins with the words, “Remember Laban the Syrian who...

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