HomeFrom the Desk of George Friedman

From the Desk of George Friedman

Facing Reality: A New American Strategy

The United States has been at war for almost the entire 21st century, and it’s only 2021. In contrast, the United States was at war for just 17 percent of the entire 20th century, during which it won the world wars, defeat in which may have led to existential transformations of the country and thus […]

Russian Worries of Collapse

“External threats … are understandable. When we are threatened, we understand who is threatening, what they are threatening , we know what they are...

Why America Loses Wars

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is moving to its inevitable conclusion. The Taliban, the radical Islamists the U.S. was fighting, are taking back control...

‘Is That All There Is?’

There are times in our lives when we are tired – tired in an existential sense, a sense of having seen everything there is...

China and the Element of Surprise

A war between China and the United States would be a war between peer powers. That’s not to say they are identical powers; all...

COVID and Cars

We have moved into the true second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous phases were merely passing bubbles. This one appears real. Until now,...

The Geopolitics of Heartbreak

The U.S. military presence in Afghanistan is winding down, just as it had in Iraq and Vietnam. There are always those who believe wars...

Killer Facebook

Social media began as an oddity growing out of another oddity, the internet. It has grown into a powerful global force, both instrumental in...

A Motherless Child

A couple of nights ago, my wife and I discovered something startling about each other. While we were young children, we were both in...

Biden and Merkel to Meet

U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Thursday in Washington, where they are expected to discuss issues such...

The 20-Year War

On Sept. 11, 2001, a special operations team created by al-Qaida attacked the United States, hijacking commercial airplanes to target psychologically significant structures. I...

China’s Search for a Negotiated Settlement

Last week, China celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party. The celebration included a plan for the invasion of Taiwan,...

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