Speeches

A Middle East with No Master
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.) | Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Washington, D.C.

Time was, the countries of the Middle East relied on the United States for patronage, protection, and guidance.  Suez taught Israel, Britain, and France that without Washington’s acquiescence, their policies could not succeed.  Egypt’s defection showed Russia the limits of its ability to compete

On the Souring of Sino-American Relations
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.) | Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Santa Clara, California

I am honored to stand before you this morning to discuss US-China relations.  It’s a challenge to speak on a subject so many here know so much about, and to do so at a moment of such radical inflection in the relationship.  But Sino-American relations are a matter of great importance to all in ou

Fifteen Years of Forever Wars
Ambassador Chas. W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.) | Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Fifteen years ago today, speaking in Kabul, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld declared that, in Afghanistan, “we clearly have moved from major combat activity to a period of stability and stabilization and reconstruction activities.

Diplomacy as Tactics
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.) | Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

This is the second of three lectures directed at laying a basis for the development of diplomatic doctrine.  It deals with diplomacy as the tactics of foreign relations.  The preface to this

Diplomacy as Strategy
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.) | Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

This is the first of three lectures on diplomatic doctrine.

This Too Shall Pass
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Camden, Maine

The United States declared its independence two hundred and forty-two years ago.  We did so on a planet in which China was one-third of the world economy but geopolitics were dominated by Britain, the world’s greatest naval power, and France, which had the finest army and the most brilliant cultu

The United States and China: Game of Superpowers
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Fort Lesley J. McNair, D. C.

Fifty years ago, in 1968, Richard Milhous Nixon made his second run at the presidency.  No one would dispute that he was a greater statesman than political personality.  But, he won.  He entered office with a plan to enlist China in support of the U.S.

Diplomacy: A Rusting Tool of American Statecraft
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
Senior Fellow, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Washington, DC and Cambridge, Massachusetts

I am here to talk about diplomacy. This may seem an odd moment to broach the subject. Our president has told us that it doesn’t matter that his administration is not staffed to do it, because “I’m the only one who matters.” In other words, “l’état c’est moi.”

America’s Connection with Zionism
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.) | Senior Fellow, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Washington, DC

 

Good evening.  I’m Chas Freeman.  I chair the Committee for the Republic.  Once a year, the Committee convenes a salon on the American relationship with Israel.  We are honored to have Allan Brownfeld with us to lead our discussion tonight.