March 2020 saw the Marine Corps release Force Design 2030 strategic planning document (https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo134593) under the direction of Commandant General David H. Berger. This collaborative effort was influenced by the Trump Administration’s 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS). The NDSredirected the Marine Corps’ focus from countering violent Middle Eastern extremists to countering great power/peer competitors, particularly those… Read more »
On September 13 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US), Professor Jack Goldstone presented a talk, “We Predicted Political Upheaval in America in the 2020s: This is why it’s here and what we can do to avoid it.” ABSTRACT: A model designed to explain past revolutions and rebellions in Europe and… Read more »
On Sunday, September 6, 2020 (from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Eastern Time, US), Dr. Robert Aguirre presented on “A Giraffe in Nanjing: A Cartographic Reimagining of China’s One Belt One Road.” Dr. Robert Aguirre is a GIS Specialist at The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai’i and is… Read more »
Mr. Gabriel Mitchell addressed the Mackinder Forum Seminar on Sunday, August 30, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, US. He discussed “Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean: Natural Gas Deposits, Pipelines, and Conflict over Maritime Jurisdictions.” Gabriel Mitchell is the Director of External Relations at the Mitvim Institute. He is also… Read more »
On Saturday, August 22, 2020, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM (Eastern Time, US), Professor Albert Chapman addressed the Mackinder Forum Seminar on “Urban Warfare: An Emerging Geopolitical Conundrum.” Professor Chapman is a librarian at Purdue University. He is the author of several studies, most notably: Global Defence Procurement and… Read more »
On Saturday, August 15, 2020, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM (Eastern Time, US), Professor Ofira Seliktar presented a broad ranging talk devoted to “Iran’s Proxy Wars: Limits to A Successful Strategy?” Professor Seliktar is Professor Emerita at Gratz College. She has written extensively on predictive failures in intelligence and… Read more »
Members of the seminar recommended the continuation of the conversation initiated by Professor Sally Paine. The following readings were recommended for discussion on Sunday, August 9, 2020, 1:30-3:00 PM (Eastern Time, US.): (1) https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/08/04/chinas_rise_is_macarthurs_vindication_115517.html; (2) https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/china-middle-eastern-kingdom; (3) https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/08/china-rising-superpower-crumbling-totalitarian-machine/; and (4) https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2020/08/container-china-arrives-narvik-it-could-pave-way-new-transport-route.
Professor Sally Paine of the Naval War College presented an hour-long talk on “The Geopolitics of Maritime and Continental Powers: China, Russia, and the United States.” A discussion will follow. This seminar was held on Saturday, August 1st, NOON-2 p.m. (Eastern Time, US). According to Professor Paine, readings for this… Read more »
Admiral Chris Parry delivered a presentation titled “Economic Infiltration: Lessons from the United Kingdom.” This seminar was held on Sunday, July 26, 2020, 1:30-3:00 PM (Eastern Time, US.) Admiral Parry is well known to the Mackinder Forum, having presented several times to our Seminar and annual meetings. A reading was… Read more »
Professor Jeannie Johnson (Director, Center for Anticipatory Intelligence, Utah State University) presented a talk on “Strategic Culture for Intelligence Analysis” on July 11, 2020, noon-2:00 p.m. (Eastern time, US.) Two papers were circulated in advance: Jeannie L. Johnson and Matthew T. Berrett, “Cultural Topography: A New Research Tool for Intelligence… Read more »
