In Search of Monsters – The Maelstrom of Geopolitics

On this installment of In Search of Monsters, host Chris Lydon speaks with retired diplomat and writer Chas Freeman. In the coming world order, Freeman is telling us that great empires like the United States have lost their grip. China is still rising, and lesser powers too. The US is still hooked on primacy and still number one, but only in firepower. We’re out of joint with much of the world and, seemingly with ourselves.

The legend of Chas Freeman derives from his time in Beijing 50 years ago. As a young Foreign Service officer, he served as the interpreter between Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong, as part of the breakthrough detente between China and the United States. Even then, Freeman was a master of languages, history, strategy, and diplomacy. A great career ensued, and it isn’t over. He’s a writer and lecturer online now, often sharper and more believable than the news media regarding the quasi-war between the United States and China, the focus of this installment.

Listen to the full episode here:

Additionally, check out these related resources:

• A Restraint Recipe for America’s Asian Alliances and Security Partnerships – QI Brief from Director of Studies Sarang Shidore and East Asia Director Michael Swaine, December 13th, 2022.

• Global South again shows ambivalence on the Ukraine war – QI Director of Studies Sarang Shidore in Responsible Statecraft, October 12th, 2022. 

• On American Diplomacy and the Disorderly Oscillation of World Orders – Chas Freeman, August 2021.