HomeFrom the Desk of George Friedman

From the Desk of George Friedman

Turkey Makes Its Move

In “The Next 100 Years,” I described Turkey as an emerging regional power that would over time extend its sphere of influence to resemble...

North Korea and the Threat of ICBMs

Rumors have been swirling that North Korea is about to test an intercontinental ballistic missile. The source for this latest rumor is U.S. intelligence,...

George Friedman’s Thoughts: A Month of Travel

Since the beginning of November, I have traveled, in sequence, to Dubai, Calgary, New York, Istanbul, Zurich and London, with quick stopovers at home...

The Posh Versus the Blokes in the UK

I arrived in London on Saturday afternoon. Traffic was heavy and it took nearly two hours to reach my hotel, giving ample time to...

The Internet and the Tragedy of the Commons

Jan. 4, 2017 The expectation of anonymity online has become extreme.

Pearl Harbor and the Strategy of Economic Sanctions

There have been many lessons drawn from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. One was that wars need not begin according to international law....

George Friedman’s Thoughts: Fear and Loathing in Publishing a New Book

The galleys have arrived and my writing is officially ended. The book is now in the hands of Doubleday’s production and marketing department and...

A Common Theme of Global Unrest

From Hong Kong to Tehran to Buenos Aires, the world appears to be destabilizing. The question that has been raised is whether there is...

Visiting Istanbul

I am writing this from Istanbul, trying not to count how many Thanksgivings I have spent without my children and grandchildren. But as they...

Israel and the Emerging Crisis of the Secular and the Religious

Elections normally don’t interest us at Geopolitical Futures. The passage of personalities who preside over the realities of a nation does not usually affect...

George Friedman’s Thoughts: On Viewing Rembrandt’s ‘Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer’

Last weekend I was in New York City, with a rare moment for indulgence. I chose to visit an old love, one who taught...

The Pressure on China

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has begun minor operations to try to quell the unrest in Hong Kong. This is a step that the...

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