{"id":10271,"date":"2015-12-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-21T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/?p=10271"},"modified":"2015-12-20T23:39:15","modified_gmt":"2015-12-21T06:39:15","slug":"flashpoints-by-george-friedman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/flashpoints-by-george-friedman\/","title":{"rendered":"Flashpoints by George Friedman"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\"\"Some people say that Science Fiction writers are in the business of predicting the future. In fact, that’s only partially true: we don’t predict the future so much as we show people\u00a0what possibilities the future may hold. But strategic\u00a0forecasting is a real business, and the foremost personality in that business is George Friedman.<\/p>\n

In a world\u00a0run rampant with hyperbole and sensationalism, Friedman’s analysis consistently\u00a0stands out for its calm\u00a0and measured rationality, as well as its ruthless incisiveness.\u00a0As cordial and softspoken as Friedman can be, he does not mince words or walk on eggshells. He calls it the way he sees it, and he sees some very interesting times coming in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Flashpoints,<\/em> Friedman analyzes the current situation in Europe by placing it in the context of history, beginning with the\u00a0Age of Exploration and culminating in what he calls “the thirty-one years.” From 1914 to 1945, more than 100 million Europeans died of political causes, the most spectacular human catastrophe of the modern era. The question he asks is whether Europe has truly\u00a0changed, or whether we are on the verge of a return to the savage cruelty that\u00a0defined the 20th century.<\/p>\n

Friedman’s take on the history of the continent is quite fascinating. He points out a number of things that most histories overlook: for example, that European unification was\u00a0originally an American project,\u00a0imposed on a recalictrant\u00a0Europe as a means to counter Soviet expansionism. In any war with the Soviets, West Germany would be the first line of defense, and therefore NATO and the Americans needed a strong West Germany and a united continent. Thus, the European Union started as an\u00a0essentially American project\u2014something the Europeans often forget.<\/p>\n

The thing that really made this book fascinating, though,\u00a0were the numerous personal insights from Friedman’s own life. As a Hungarian Jew whose mother was a holocaust survivor and whose father was conscripted to fight in\u00a0Operation Barbarossa<\/a>, Friedman’s personal\u00a0story is just as fascinating as the story he tells about Europe. The two weave together in a way that offers a unique and powerful perspective on the challenges currently facing the continent, providing insights that can’t be gleaned in any other way.<\/p>\n

Friedman’s writing is remarkably clear. His analysis is eye-opening, and his predictions are compelling. By the end of the book, I not only felt like I had a better understanding of Europe, but a better understanding of humanity as well.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, this is Friedman’s best book.\u00a0The Next Hundred Years<\/a><\/em> was quite excellent,\u00a0but a project that large in scope\u00a0couldn’t help but feel a little fantastic.\u00a0The Next Decade<\/a><\/em> was also good, but it had neither the grand scope of\u00a0The Next Hundred Years<\/em> nor the depth\u00a0of focus of a book dedicated to a single geopolitical question.\u00a0Flashpoints<\/a><\/em>\u00a0possesses both that depth of focus and the\u00a0grand scope of historical context, tracing the rise, fall, and\u00a0rebirth of what is simultaneously the most savage and civilized continent on this planet. It’s a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it.<\/p>\n