GPF WEEKLY: Diplomacy as a Work of Art
It’s all about creating illusions and convincing others that they’re real. By George Friedman The past week has been filled with stories about diplomacy. The G-7 summit in Canada last week was focused on U.S. President Donald Trump’s undiplomatic behavior. The Singapore summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen as a possible diplomatic breakthrough. These events have caused me to ask some important questions: What is diplomacy, what is the role of diplomats, and where do the rituals of diplomatic behavior come from? An Offer You Can’t Refuse At the simplest level, diplomacy is the process whereby nations conduct business with each other, and diplomats, like lawyers, represent their […]
GPF WEEKLY: Marketing and the Delegitimization of Elections
The core issue is not one of marketing but of citizenry. By George Friedman Last week, I wrote about the use of marketing in elections. This week, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faces a congressional hearing on how Facebook data was used during the 2016 presidential election, I will address one of the critical consequences of marketing. It is a tool used on a global basis to delegitimize elections and, with it, democracy. As I argued last week, the use of marketing, particularly online marketing, has been growing. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it is becoming more effective. It has been claimed that the Russians interfered in the U.S. election by […]
PULASKI POLICY PAPER: New 5th generation fighters – the end of the US supremacy?
Pulaski Policy Paper No 6, 2018. 27 April 2018 r. In 2017 numerous new information surfaced regarding the 5th generation fighter programmes undertaken by the Russian Federation, and People’s Republic of China which are, as per the 2018 National Defense Review, and the 2017 National Security Strategy, considered to be main competitors of the US in the international arena. Russian fighters In case of the Russian 5th generation fighter programme, a new stage in the development of PAK-FA fighter (also known as T-50 and Su-57 since August 2017) was reached after new features were presented during the July 2017 MAKS Aviation Show. The 8th flying prototype was on exhibition at […]
The inauguration meeting of Women in International Security Poland
The inauguration meeting of Women in International Security Poland (WIIS Poland) will take place on 20th of March 2018. WIIS Poland is a Polish affiliate of the global organisation which goal is to support professional and academic development of women in fields of security and international relations. Inauguration will be hosted in Senate, higher chamber of Polish parliament, and the guest of honour will be Minister Anna Maria Anders, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary of the Prime Minister for the International Dialogue. Activities of WIIS Poland are conducted by Casimir Pulaski Foundation. WIIS Poland organises its activities along the main aim which is […]
EU Defence and Security Policy: From Global Strategy to PESCO
Pulaski Policy Paper No. 1, 2018. January 05, 2018 The 2016 EU Global Strategy (EUGS) provided a major stimulus to actions of the European Council, the Commission and the European Parliament in the field of security policy. Undoubtedly, the establishment of the Permanent Structural Cooperation (PESCO) in late 2017 has been the most important step in the implementation of the Strategy so far.[i] Road to PESCO In March 2017, the Council of the European Union conducted a preliminary assessment of the EUGS implementation plan.[ii] At the same time, the European Union approved a concept to strengthen capabilities related to operational planning and coordination of missions and operations within the […]
In the shadow of Communistic missiles – Air and Missile Defence in Taiwan
History Taiwan (officially the Republic of China, ROC) is a country paying close attention to its security as well as the efficiency of its armed forces. Since the victory of Chinese communists in 1949, Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China formally remain in a state of conflict, despite détente in recent years (China perceives Taiwan as a rebellious province, therefore, Beijing has never renounced the possibility of using force to take control over the island). Thus, Taiwan maintains the armed forces with a strength of 215,000 soldiers (and 1,6 mln of reserve personnel) and spends approximately 2% of its GDP on defence (Taiwan’s military spending is continuously decreasing and […]
Iran, Russia, Turkey: A New Middle Eastern Trio?
A turnaround in Russian-Turkish relations has become the main topic of discussion and source of concerns for Western countries for several weeks. A thaw in relations between these two countries is accompanied by another actor that can strengthen the construction of anti-Western bloc in the Middle East. This actor is Iran which is striving for supremacy in the region of Middle East and the Islamic world. Iran is putting pressure on Western countries to implement all provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding cessation of sanctions and propounding the construction of multi-pole world, where the United States does not possess a primary position. Iran remains a controversial […]
The U.S. Election – consequences for nuclear security
Nuclear arsenal continues to play a narrow but crucial role in the U.S. military strategy. But, as most European NATO member states perceive the outcome of the U.S. 2016 presidential elections as ‘unexpected’, a debate on European nuclear deterrence capability as an alternative to the American one rekindles in major European capitals. Sensitive issue of the future of nuclear deterrence strategy and nuclear arsenal in Europe requires urgent action and smart funding commitments, both by the U.S. and its European allies. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has sought to reduce the role of nuclear arsenal in deterrence of non-nuclear attacks on itself and its allies. […]