--- title: "10 United Quotes By George Friedman" description: "10 United quotes by George Friedman. Plus more from George Friedman and more United sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/george-friedman-7436_believe_it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-g_687741.png" --- > [It has always struck me as the world's great fortune that the two great superpowers were the United States and the Soviet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-great-fortune-that-the-two/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/george-friedman-7436_believe_it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-g_687741.png) > [What is the great fear of the United States? That an Eastern power will build a navy to challenge us. How do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/what-is-the-great-fear-of-the-united-states-that-an-eastern-power/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/george-friedman-7436_challenges_what-is-the-great-fear-of-the-united-sta_940028.png) > [The United State has a net worth against which our debt is a joke ... we wrote in 2008 the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-united-state-has-a-net-worth-against-which-our-debt-is-a-joke-we/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbe/george-friedman-7436_chinese_the-united-state-has-a-net-worth-against_724929.png) > [Well the most likely emerging countries are Japan, Turkey, and Poland. So I would say Eastern Europe, the Middle East and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/well-the-most-likely-emerging-countries-are-japan-turkey-and-poland/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/george-friedman-7436_countries_well-the-most-likely-emerging-countries_3031513.png) > [When you have the countries like Germany, China, and Russia decline, and be replaced by others, that's when systemic wars start. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/when-you-have-the-countries-like-germany-china-and-russia-decline-and/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/george-friedman-7436_20th-century_when-you-have-the-countries-like-germany_2400649.jpg) > [With the decline of American interests in the outcome of this region, there is no glue holding it together. And the countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/with-the-decline-of-american-interests-in-the-outcome-of-this-region/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/george-friedman-7436_borders_with-the-decline-of-american-interests-i_2023019.png) > [Well what are our geopolitical objectives? First, that North America be peaceful, prosperous, dominated by the United States. Second, that no nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/well-what-are-our-geopolitical-objectives-first-that-north-america-be/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/george-friedman-7436_able_well-what-are-our-geopolitical-objective_2870571.jpg) > [Success looks like you sitting here pretty confident that an armed brigade isn't going to come pouring in here and blow your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/success-looks-like-you-sitting-here-pretty-confident-that-an-armed/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/george-friedman-7436_blow_success-looks-like-you-sitting-here-pret_2262668.jpg) > [Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-because-the-us-has-built-up-its/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png) > [Politicians are enormously smart and rational. They don't have the same interests as businessmen ... But a man rises to the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/politicians-are-enormously-smart-and-rational-they-don-t-have-the/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/george-friedman-7436_businessman_politicians-are-enormously-smart-and-rat_825384.jpg) ## Other authors on United ## More by George Friedman > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“In Geo-Politics, a nation has no permanent allies or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/in-geo-politics-a-nation-has-no-permanent-allies-or-permanent-enemies/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/galvanized-people-can-do-careless-things-it-is-in-the-extreme-and/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [The Chinese have a long history of slaughtering each other without bothering their neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-chinese-have-a-long-history-of-slaughtering-each-other-without/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/italy-spills-over-to-everything-italy-is-a-huge-banking-system-it-has/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-that-are-not-possible-you-re/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/but-every-time-new-powers-emerge-they-have-to-find-their-balance-new/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore \[I refuse\] to say that I will not live in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/we-cannot-anticipate-the-moral-circumstances-under-which-we-will-live/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/while-you-and-i-are-allowed-the-luxury-of-our-pain-president-isn-t-a/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ War is an extraordinary condition to be in - to be, for example, in the combat information center of a warship \[and behaving\] as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/war-is-an-extraordinary-condition-to-be-in-to-be-for-example-in-the/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/when-you-re-young-and-going-to-war-it-s-a-genuinely-exciting-moment/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“The Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue demands that one honor one's mother and father. That is not about calling home. It is about this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-fifth-commandment-of-the-decalogue-demands-that-one-honor-one-s/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [If you lose yourself to rage in the complexity of battle, you are going to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-lose-yourself-to-rage-in-the-complexity-of-battle-you-are/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price-for-doing-this-now-one-way/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/george-friedman/#itemlist", "name": "10 United Quotes By George Friedman", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It has always struck me as the world's great fortune that the two great superpowers were the United States and the Soviet Union, who managed the Cold War with meticulous care in retrospect. Imagine the European diplomats of 1914 or 1938 armed with nuclear weapons. It is easy to believe they would not have been as cautious.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-great-fortune-that-the-two/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/george-friedman-7436_believe_it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-g_687741.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/george-friedman-7436_believe_it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-g_687741.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/george-friedman-7436_believe_it-has-always-struck-me-as-the-world-s-g_687741.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It has always struck me as the world's great fortune that the two great superpowers were the United States…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What is the great fear of the United States? That an Eastern power will build a navy to challenge us. How do you keep them from doing that? Keep them at each other's throats so they don't have any money to do this. This is why we fought the First World War, the Second World War, and the Cold War.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/what-is-the-great-fear-of-the-united-states-that-an-eastern-power/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/george-friedman-7436_challenges_what-is-the-great-fear-of-the-united-sta_940028.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/george-friedman-7436_challenges_what-is-the-great-fear-of-the-united-sta_940028.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/george-friedman-7436_challenges_what-is-the-great-fear-of-the-united-sta_940028.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What is the great fear of the United States? That an Eastern power will build a navy to challenge us. How do…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The United State has a net worth against which our debt is a joke ... we wrote in 2008 the United States is going to come out of this recession fast. The Europeans are going to fragment. The Chinese are going to be cremated. Why could we come out of it? Why has all economic theory been proven wrong? Because we're rich and we could afford it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-united-state-has-a-net-worth-against-which-our-debt-is-a-joke-we/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbe/george-friedman-7436_chinese_the-united-state-has-a-net-worth-against_724929.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbe/george-friedman-7436_chinese_the-united-state-has-a-net-worth-against_724929.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbe/george-friedman-7436_chinese_the-united-state-has-a-net-worth-against_724929.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The United State has a net worth against which our debt is a joke ... we wrote in 2008 the United States is…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Well the most likely emerging countries are Japan, Turkey, and Poland. So I would say Eastern Europe, the Middle East and a maritime war by Japan with the United States enjoying its own pleasures.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/well-the-most-likely-emerging-countries-are-japan-turkey-and-poland/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/george-friedman-7436_countries_well-the-most-likely-emerging-countries_3031513.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/george-friedman-7436_countries_well-the-most-likely-emerging-countries_3031513.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/george-friedman-7436_countries_well-the-most-likely-emerging-countries_3031513.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well the most likely emerging countries are Japan, Turkey, and Poland. So I would say Eastern Europe, the…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you have the countries like Germany, China, and Russia decline, and be replaced by others, that's when systemic wars start. That's when it gets dangerous, because they haven't yet reached a balance. So Germany united in 1871 and all hell broke loose. Japan rose in the early 20th century, and then you had chaos. So we're looking at a systemic shift. Be ready for war.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/when-you-have-the-countries-like-germany-china-and-russia-decline-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/george-friedman-7436_20th-century_when-you-have-the-countries-like-germany_2400649.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/george-friedman-7436_20th-century_when-you-have-the-countries-like-germany_2400649.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/george-friedman-7436_20th-century_when-you-have-the-countries-like-germany_2400649.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you have the countries like Germany, China, and Russia decline, and be replaced by others, that's when…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With the decline of American interests in the outcome of this region, there is no glue holding it together. And the countries in this region are invented ... The last guarantor of the region's borders was the United States, and the US has basically said \"the hell with it.\" What you're really having is the collapse of nation-states because they're not nations. They're only states.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/with-the-decline-of-american-interests-in-the-outcome-of-this-region/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/george-friedman-7436_borders_with-the-decline-of-american-interests-i_2023019.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/george-friedman-7436_borders_with-the-decline-of-american-interests-i_2023019.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/george-friedman-7436_borders_with-the-decline-of-american-interests-i_2023019.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With the decline of American interests in the outcome of this region, there is no glue holding it together…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Well what are our geopolitical objectives? First, that North America be peaceful, prosperous, dominated by the United States. Second, that no nation be able to approach the United States militarily ... Those are the goals. It's very simple. We achieve that by making certain that all conflict takes place in the Eastern Hemisphere so we don't have conflict here.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/well-what-are-our-geopolitical-objectives-first-that-north-america-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/george-friedman-7436_able_well-what-are-our-geopolitical-objective_2870571.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/george-friedman-7436_able_well-what-are-our-geopolitical-objective_2870571.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/george-friedman-7436_able_well-what-are-our-geopolitical-objective_2870571.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well what are our geopolitical objectives? First, that North America be peaceful, prosperous, dominated by…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Success looks like you sitting here pretty confident that an armed brigade isn't going to come pouring in here and blow your head off. Which I don't think is your major concern. Therefore, the United States' foreign policy is successful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/success-looks-like-you-sitting-here-pretty-confident-that-an-armed/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/george-friedman-7436_blow_success-looks-like-you-sitting-here-pret_2262668.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/george-friedman-7436_blow_success-looks-like-you-sitting-here-pret_2262668.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8c/george-friedman-7436_blow_success-looks-like-you-sitting-here-pret_2262668.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Success looks like you sitting here pretty confident that an armed brigade isn't going to come pouring in…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only country in the world really not to have a war fought on its territory since the time of the Civil War ... Therefore we can afford mistakes that would kill other countries. And therefore we can take risks that they can't ... the core answer to why the United States is like this is we didn't fight World War I and World War II and the Cold War here.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-because-the-us-has-built-up-its/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Politicians are enormously smart and rational. They don't have the same interests as businessmen ... But a man rises to the top of the United States. He's clawed his way out of 330 million people. OK. He didn't do that because he was dumb, or lucky, or something like that. He understands power. And he understands how to take it. And he understands how to keep it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/politicians-are-enormously-smart-and-rational-they-don-t-have-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/george-friedman-7436_businessman_politicians-are-enormously-smart-and-rat_825384.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/george-friedman-7436_businessman_politicians-are-enormously-smart-and-rat_825384.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/george-friedman-7436_businessman_politicians-are-enormously-smart-and-rat_825384.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Politicians are enormously smart and rational. They don't have the same interests as businessmen ... 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