Harlan Ullman
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Much of my 2025 will be devoted to co-authoring a book with my great English friend, David Richards. The title is The Great Paradox: Strategic Thinking in an Unstrategic World. Richards' more formal title is General The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a peerage conferred for his long and distinguished service culminating as chief of the U.K. Defense Staff, equivalent to the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
David and I first met more than 20 years ago in Kabul, where he was commanding NATO's International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan. His views on dealing with the Taliban based on reconciliation at the tribal level conflicted somewhat with NATO and U.S. doctrine. Sadly, David would be proven correct.
One of the reasons for this book was the dramatic failings and failures of government, both democratic and autocratic. Whether one loved or hated presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, some 80% of Americans believed the United State was headed in the wrong direction. A similarly large proportion had lost trust and confidence in government and most institutions, even in the private sector. And America's $36 trillion debt is nearly 1 1/2 times GDP -- an economically unsustainable level.
The U.K. had gone through a string of Tory prime ministers. Despite the victory of Labor in the last election, it has not fared much better in governing. Germany and France are in political disarray. And South Korea is running out of presidents to impeach.
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