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I is James Stavridis a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a retired US Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO, and vice chairman of global affairs at the Carlyle Group. Three stood out.  The first is 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How it Shattered a Nation by New York Times business columnist and Squawk Box host Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Much as in his previous book — Too Big To Fail, a gripping description of the global recession of 2008-2009 — it is a character-driven, front-row seat to an epic economic and geopolitical crisis, and a warning of what might be ahead. In the roaring 1920s, people could easily buy stocks on margin and “the market only went up.” The streets of New York were full of newly minted millionaires flaunting their wealth. The nation had shaken off the effects of a global pandemic and was full of “animal spirits” and financial exuberance. A stock market at record highs? Post-pandemic animal spirits? Inclination to tariffs a...

There is precedent here: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its Western allies provided such guarantees to the small Balkan region of Kosovo in the late 1990s against Serbian aggression. Let’s start with the strategically vital Black Sea coast.  Ukraine must have assurances that the Russian Black Sea fleet will not try to bottle up its commerce, especially the export of agrarian products and potash. A permanent NATO naval presence will be required, including two or three destroyers or frigates on station, a similar number of minesweepers, and reasonable air cover including long-range marine patrol aircraft like the US-made P-8 Poseidon.  This contingent could operate out of NATO ports in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. It would be similar to what NATO did a quarter-century ago to protect landlocked Kosovo:  It put together a maritime task force in the Adriatic that ensured Serbia could not receive weapons from the sea. Trump would be wise to immediately increase the...

  Israel wants to strike while Tehran’s defenses are at their weakest, but Trump is offering one last chance for peace. James Stavridis Bloomberg 6 June 2025 James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a retired US Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-06-06/us-israel-could-destroy-iran-s-nuclear-sites-if-it-rejects-trump-deal

  Deadly Iran Blasts and US Warnings Escalate Mideast Tensions Twin explosions near cemetery leave at least 84 people dead Iran Blasts, US Warnings Escalate Tensions Amid Israel-Hamas War, Red Sea Fears - Bloomberg Hit the Houthis — and Iran — Where It Counts Guarding Red Sea traffic isn’t doing the job, so the US must plan for military strikes on land. James Stavridis a retired US Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO Bloomberg 3 januari 2024 https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-01-03/us-can-strike-houthi-and-iranian-targets-to-protect-red-sea-shipping 13 länder varnar Huthi-milisen Iranstödda Huthi-rörelsen i Jemen kommer att mötas av ”konsekvenser” om attackerna mot civila fartyg i Röda havet fortsätter, varnar USA och tolv allierade. ”Dessa attacker hotar oskyldiga liv från hela världen och utgör ett betydande internationellt problem som kräver kollektiva åtgärder”, lyder ett gemensamt uttalande utfärdat av regeringarna i USA, Storbrita...

  The question I am constantly asked is not about a trade war. It is: Are we headed toward a hot war with China?  The short answer is that I hope not, of course, but I am increasingly concerned about the trends.  I spent the majority of my Navy career in the Pacific, and I never felt we were as close to an actual shooting war with Beijing as we are today. It is worth remembering how World War II began in the Pacific: with trade sanctions that cut off Japan from vital resources — notably oil, steel and rubber.  Many historians believe the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was the culmination of a decade of economic disputes and provocative steps. James Stavridis Bloomberg 16 april 2025  James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a retired US Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO, and vice chairman of global affairs at the Carlyle Group.  Carlyle | Global Investment Firm https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-04-16/are-th...

so the UK needs to cut a deal with Mauritius for a 99-year lease.   Still trying to rule the waves.  Photographer: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Now the two countries are in final negotiations of a vital deal that would turn sovereignty over to the Mauritians but — most important —  allow the US-UK base to remain. For decades, it has been one of the last overseas land areas claimed by Britain (along with Gibraltar, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and a handful of others). Perhaps most important, Diego Garcia is capable of supporting the fleet of long-range strategic bombers — B-1B Lancers, stealthy B-2 Spirits and B-52 Stratofortresses. All could have a key role in any major attack on Iran. James Stavridis Bloomberg 5 december 2024   a retired US Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO  https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-12-05/diego-garcia-is-a-us-navy-base-too-important-to-lose The sun has now officially set on Britain’s African...

   I am not a Navy SEAL or Army Green Beret, far from it, but over the course of my career I have commanded them, as well as the Army’s storied 75th Ranger Regiment, in both the war in Afghanistan and counterterrorist operations in Colombia. When Delta Force, one of the nation’s top-tier units, was assigned to me in Colombia for a delicate hostage-rescue mission, I saw firsthand the extreme level of detail that goes into special operations planning, taking into consideration every variable, including the negative ones. As the war unfolds in Iran, I am certain the armed services are thinking through several potential missions for their elite warriors. A tempting target would be Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. This is the main location for the Iranians’ oil and gas terminal transits, and depriving them of the crown jewel of their energy system would be a significant achievement.  It is only 16 miles off the coast of Iran, and well northwest of the newly mined Strait of Ho...

The region is notable for a variety of historical reasons, but especially as the heart of the ancient Holy Roman Empire.  Nearby Aachen is the burial site of Emperor Charlemagne, who died in AD 814 and is famously known as the Father of Europe for having helped stop Islamic invasions well over a millennium ago.  James Stavridis Bloomberg 5 October 2018 Holy Roman Empire