From the Desk of George Friedman

The U.S. is still the pre-eminent global power, whether the world likes it or not.

In the next two weeks, I will be visiting and writing about Portugal and Italy.

The United States is a global power in a world filled with asymmetric interests.

The core issue is not one of marketing but of citizenry.

There is nothing new in lying to the public.

The U.S. is about to give geopolitics a major test.

Turkey’s path to Manbij and greater control of its border with Syria is almost wide open.

The island nation has been changed by Germany’s need to expand and by America’s need to dominate the North Atlantic.

The current Chinese leader may be president for life, but that’s where the comparisons end.

Only now is the full power of what started in 2008 being felt.

South Korea wants to avoid a war, but reconciliation with the North is no panacea either.

Peripheral to the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, Japan is slowly building up military capabilities.