It’s been 30 years since a group of young protestors faced down military tanks in China’s Tiananmen Square to protest for Democracy.

This, of course, was a battle lost.

2019 also marks another anniversary - one which remains relevant today as the U.S. and China renegotiate their relationship and its balance of power. In 1919, a book was published without which Stratfor would likely not exist. It is Democratic Ideals and Reality: A Study in the Politics of Reconstruction, written by Halford Mackinder.

It’s a book that resonates with Stratfor’s VP of Strategic Analysis, Rodger Baker. And also with scholar of history and author, Dr. Jeremi Suri.