HomeFrom the Desk of George Friedman

From the Desk of George Friedman

George Friedman’s Thoughts: Two Versions of May Day

May Day has been special to me since the third grade, when a pole was erected in the center of the schoolyard of PS 67 in the Bronx. That morning, we were herded into the yard where the pole, festooned with crepe paper, was surrounded by slightly older girls, each of whom held the end […]

Medical, Economic, Social, Military: The State of Play

A riot broke out in a poor, predominantly Muslim neighborhood north of Paris over the weekend. The immediate cause was a traffic offense and...

George Friedman’s Thoughts: Russia and the Fight Against Tragedy

Karl Marx wrote that “history repeats itself twice, the first time as tragedy and the second time as farce.” The collapse of the Soviet...

Recession and Depression

A recession is an essential part of the business cycle. Among other things it culls the weaker businesses and redistributes capital and labor for...

George Friedman’s Thoughts: Prisms of Thought

When I began the Thoughts column, I explained that I was using it as a space for thinking about a new book intended to...

The Beginning of Social Dysfunction

A few weeks ago, I laid out a model for thinking about the coronavirus crisis. I argued that there were four structures operating: medical,...

George Friedman’s Thoughts: Tuesday Night Poker

Earlier this week I wrote a book review about the breakdown of community and friendship in our time. In that review, I spoke of...

Supply Chains and a Novel Path to Conflict

Though “supply chain” became a household term only in the past generation, it has been around since humans have been engaging in commerce. One...

George Friedman’s Thoughts: Thinking About This Moment

My job is to write, and my goal in writing is to put things in perspective. The world has been to me an endlessly...

The Coronavirus Closes Borders

The border between the United States and Canada has been closed. I don’t recall that ever happening before; I’m not sure what it is...

The Calculated Risk of the Coronavirus

We live in a world filled with risks, some large and some small. When we step off the sidewalk to cross the street as...

Modeling the US Reaction to the Coronavirus

The United States is under enormous pressure. The nature of the particular pressure is unique, though pressure on the United States from various forces...

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