Dr. George Friedman is Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a company dedicated to forecasting the course of the international system (www.geopoliticalfutures.com). He is an internationally recognized strategist on global affairs and a New York Times best selling author. He is also a Senior Advisor at GALLUP. Friedman’s most recent book, THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM: America’s Discord, The Coming Crisis of the 2020s and the Triumph Beyond, focuses on the United States, predicting how the 2020s will bring dramatic upheaval and a reshaping of American government, foreign policy, economics, and culture. His other bestselling books include The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe, The Next Decade, America’s Secret War, The Future of War and The Intelligence Edge. A very popular keynote speaker on international geopolitics, Friedman’s experience in military modeling, intelligence and international affairs places him in high demand at numerous conferences and industry-specific events. He has briefed for numerous major military and government organizations and is frequently invited to speak internationally. Prior to founding Geopolitical Futures in 2015, Friedman was Chairman of Stratfor, the geopolitical intelligence publishing and consulting firm he founded in 1996. Friedman received his bachelor’s degree from the City College of the City University of New York and holds a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University. He lives in Austin, Texas.
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Episode 406
George Friedman
Navigating the Twin Crises of the 2020s | George Friedman
Dr. George Friedman is Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a company dedicated to forecasting the course of the international system (www.geopoliticalfutures.com). He is an internationally recognized strategist on global affairs and a New York Times best selling author. He is also a Senior Advisor at GALLUP. Friedman’s most recent book, THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM: America’s Discord, The Coming Crisis of the 2020s and the Triumph Beyond, focuses on the United States, predicting how the 2020s will bring dramatic upheaval and a reshaping of American government, foreign policy, economics, and culture. His other bestselling books include The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe, The Next Decade, America’s Secret War, The Future of War and The Intelligence Edge. A very popular keynote speaker on international geopolitics, Friedman’s experience in military modeling, intelligence and international affairs places him in high demand at numerous conferences and industry-specific events. He has briefed for numerous major military and government organizations and is frequently invited to speak internationally. Prior to founding Geopolitical Futures in 2015, Friedman was Chairman of Stratfor, the geopolitical intelligence publishing and consulting firm he founded in 1996. Friedman received his bachelor’s degree from the City College of the City University of New York and holds a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University. He lives in Austin, Texas.
In Episode 406 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with renowned geopolitical analyst and forecaster George Friedman about the pivotal institutional and socioeconomic cycles that shape historical events—and how their convergence is driving the economic and political crises of the 2020s.
George and Demetri examine critical turning points in American history, including Andrew Jackson’s abolition of the Second Bank of the United States (which financed westward expansion), the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes (and the Long Depression), the consumer-driven growth wave following FDR’s 1930s reforms, and the neoliberal era sparked by the Reagan Revolution.
In the second hour, Friedman and Kofinas apply this framework to the era we are living in today, which according to George, is the first time in American history that both the 80-year institutional cycle and 50-year socioeconomic cycle are occurring concurrently. They discuss how (and why) so-called “woke ideology” and a sclerotic and ineffective bureaucracy are symptoms of the end of the institutional cycle and why the economic policies of this new era will lead to more capital investment and a revitalization of the American economy.
Lastly, George provides listeners with a roadmap for geopolitical events in the 21st century that includes reconciliation with Putin’s Russia, a new paradigm of peace in the middle east, and a long and challenging period of economic weakness in China that will consume the energies of the Chinese communist party and challenge the PRC’s ability to assert itself on the global stage for at least the next several decades.
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Dr. George Friedman is Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a company dedicated to forecasting the course of the international system (www.geopoliticalfutures.com). He is an internationally recognized strategist on global affairs and a New York Times best selling author.
He is also a Senior Advisor at GALLUP.
Friedman’s most recent book, THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM: America’s Discord, The Coming Crisis of the 2020s and the Triumph Beyond, focuses on the United States, predicting how the 2020s will bring dramatic upheaval and a reshaping of American government, foreign policy, economics, and culture. His other bestselling books include The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe, The Next Decade, America’s Secret War, The Future of War and The Intelligence Edge.
A very popular keynote speaker on international geopolitics, Friedman’s experience in military modeling, intelligence and international affairs places him in high demand at numerous conferences and industry-specific events. He has briefed for numerous major military and government organizations and is frequently invited to speak internationally.
Prior to founding Geopolitical Futures in 2015, Friedman was Chairman of Stratfor, the geopolitical intelligence publishing and consulting firm he founded in 1996. Friedman received his bachelor’s degree from the City College of the City University of New York and holds a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University. He lives in Austin, Texas.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
