Home / Quotes / Quote by George Friedman

Quote by George Friedman

“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.”

Quote by George Friedman

Author

George Friedman

George Friedman is a renowned political scientist, born on February 1, 1949. He is best known for founding Stratfor, an intelligence analysis company that provides global political, economic, and military trend analysis. more

You May Also Like

“The first thing you have to do is understand what success looks like. And to understand what success looks like you have to understand the intent. If you understand that intent is to make sure the sea lines are secure, then suddenly bombing Kosovo makes sense, because you don't want Serbia to reemerge as a major power.”

Ifs Want Firsts Looks Lines Sea Like You Majors Secure Make Sense Bombing Serbia Kosovo

Author:George Friedman

“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.”

Firsts Wells States Able America Certain Nations Goal Simple United United States Achieve Conflict Approach Objectives Peaceful Eastern Prosperous North America Hemisphere Geopolitical

Author:George Friedman

“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.”

Thinking Looks States United United States Successful Policy Like You Majors Sitting Concern Blow Foreign Policy Pouring

Author:George Friedman

“When I get asked the question, "Do I want to loan you money?" I want to know, how much do you earn? How much do you owe? What is your net worth? When people talk about countries for some reason they only ask how much did you earn and what's your debt?”

People Knows Want Country Reason Asks Know How Debt Loan Net Worth

Author:George Friedman

“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.”

States United United States Rich Economic Theory Jokes Debt Chinese Proven Fragments Recessions Net Worth Economic Theory Proven Wrong

Author:George Friedman

“There is no difference in a country between military, economic, and political affairs. It's useful for Business Insider to divide things that way. That's useful for a college program. But a country is a country. How do you understand China's economy without China's army? If you take these all into account you're ready to explain a question like, "How come the US doesn't have a debt problem?"”

Ifs Way Country Problem Political Differences Economy Economic Military College Ready Program Accounts Army Affair China Debt Divides Insiders

Author:George Friedman

“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.”

“Italy is the fourth-largest economy in Europe and the eighth-largest economy in the world, and its banking system is collapsing. And Germany is desperate. It must maintain its standard of living. It can only do that with exports and Deutsche Bank is very exposed to Italian debt. But so is the rest of Europe.”

World Economy Standards Europe Debt Germany Desperate Italian Exposed Fourth Banking Standards Of Living Banking System

Author:George Friedman

“Germany is the new pig. Germany depends on exports and its markets are drying up. When the Germans start getting 10% unemployment, 15% unemployment, which is the real variable, how are they going to handle it?”

Real Depends Handle Germany Pigs Unemployment Variables

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 Austria's banking system. There's all sorts of interplays there. So it's not the PIIGS one should worry about. Germany hasn't even begun falling yet. And when Germany falls, and it will, that's when the panic begins to set in.”

Should Has Beens Fall Worry Huge Majors Europe Germany Panic Eastern Banking Spills Eastern Europe Banking System Austria

Author:George Friedman