Inflection Points with Frederick Kempe podcast

Content

Inflection Points

Feb 4, 2026

Mario Draghi—yet again—has issued a wake-up call to Europe

By Frederick Kempe

Draghi's call for a federalized Europe in the face of geopolitical threats echoes his effort to save the euro.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Inflection Points

Jan 30, 2026

Markets and allies aren’t ‘selling’ America. They’re ‘hedging’ it.

By Frederick Kempe

The US dollar’s recent slide is not due to global investors abandoning the United States, but the trend does reveal an erosion of trust.

Dollar Dominance Economy & Business

Inflection Points Today

Jan 28, 2026

The ‘mother of all’ trade deals in the time of Trump

By Frederick Kempe

On Tuesday, the European Union and India announced a free trade deal—an example of how the global system is reorganizing itself.

Economy & Business European Union

Inflection Points

Jan 25, 2026

At Davos, Trump’s ‘shock therapy’ leaves Europe shaken but healthier

By Frederick Kempe

European leaders now recognize that the continent must fundamentally treat its chronic problems or further surrender global relevance.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Inflection Points

Jan 20, 2026

At Davos, Trump’s 19th-century instincts will collide with 21st-century uncertainty

By Frederick Kempe

The Greenland dispute has turned the World Economic Forum in Davos into the epicenter of transatlantic discord.

Conflict Economy & Business

Inflection Points

Jan 5, 2026

The most significant question for Trump’s America in 2026: What sticks?

By Frederick Kempe

Not every shock becomes a structure, and not every provocation determines an enduring policy change.

Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense

Inflection Points

Dec 19, 2025

Dispatch from Riyadh: Why Syria is central to the Middle East’s future

By Frederick Kempe

One year after Bashar al-Assad's fall, a visit to Saudi Arabia reveals the opportunities emerging to ensure that Syria doesn’t again fall prey to Iranian adventurism and regional chaos.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points

Dec 9, 2025

Dispatch from Doha: A tale of two Trumps (constrained vs. unleashed)

By Frederick Kempe

The Trump administration's recently released National Security Strategy is a stark departure from its predecessor during Trump's first term.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points

Nov 20, 2025

Trump and MBS have big ambitions for the Middle East. Bold action must follow.

By Frederick Kempe

Beneath all the deals and agreements that will be announced this week, US and Saudi officials are quietly conjuring plans that could be transformative.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points Today

Nov 13, 2025

Legal immigration is a reliable source of US renewal

By Frederick Kempe

If the United States wants to stay competitive, then the country will need more of what has always made America great.

Economy & Business Migration