“If the cost of naming the enemy is diplomatically or politically unacceptable, then the war is not likely to go well.” — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“A president must know what it is he does not know, and he should remain calm in pursuit of it, but there… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“Presidents and other politicians manage the appearance of things, largely by manipulating the air and hope.” — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“Long-term solutions are more attractive and cause much less controversy than short-term solutions, which will affect people who are still alive and… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“Success will require the studied lack of sophistication of a Ronald Reagan and the casual dishonesty of an FDR. The president must… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“Great powers can tend to be casual because the situation is not existential. This increases the cost of doing what is necessary.” — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“The worst president is closer by nature to the best then either is to anyone who has not gone through what it… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“Their job as leader was not to solve the problem – the president really has little control over the economy – but… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“While you and I are allowed the luxury of our pain, president isn't. A president must take into account how his citizens… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
Now if you can recognize and memorize a grandmaster's game, and you have the respect to understand [Zimbabwean president Robert] Mugabe who… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“The reality is that the American people have no desire for an empire. This is not to say that they don't want… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“In Geo-Politics, a nation has no permanent allies or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.” — George Friedman Copy Share Image
Galvanized people can do careless things. It is in the extreme and emotion-laden moments that distance and coolness are most required. I am tempted… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
The Chinese have a long history of slaughtering each other without bothering their neighbors. — George Friedman Copy Share Image
Italy spills over to everything. Italy is a huge banking system. It has been the major banking system in Eastern Europe. It's worked with… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The fancy name… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
But every time new powers emerge they have to find their balance. New powers are emerging, old powers are declining. It's not that process… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore [I refuse] to say that I will not live in a… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
“While you and I are allowed the luxury of our pain, president isn't. A president must take into account how his citizens feel and… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
War is an extraordinary condition to be in - to be, for example, in the combat information center of a warship [and behaving] as… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
When you're young and going to war, it's a genuinely exciting moment. You are going to risk yourself. On the battlefield, you are suddenly… — George Friedman Copy Share Image
![“Now if you can recognize and memorize a grandmaster's game, and you have the respect to understand [Zimbabwean president Robert] Mugabe who has survived past anyone's expectations, and make the simple assumption it wasn't an accident, and you understand why he did what he did, now you're ready to…” quote by George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7fb/george-friedman-7436_accidents_now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a_900589.jpg)
![“We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore [I refuse] to say that I will not live in a moral circumstance that requires violence.” quote by George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/313/george-friedman-7436_anticipate_we-cannot-anticipate-the-moral-circumsta_260342.jpg)
![“War is an extraordinary condition to be in - to be, for example, in the combat information center of a warship [and behaving] as though you were merely processing credit card applications. [Instead,] the information you're processing is that an incoming missile is 15 kilometers away, now 10…” quote by George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ea7/george-friedman-7436_ancient_war-is-an-extraordinary-condition-to-be_312426.jpg)
