Profiles in Power: Xi Jin Ping and Vladimir Putin

Every Wednesday at 1pm, until February 26th, at the Olympia Senior Center 222 Columbia Street NW Olympia.

The global geopolitics of the first half of the twenty-first century and beyond will very likely be dominated by the international dynamics between China, Russia, the United States, and perhaps India. Though European nations will no doubt still have an important geopolitical role to play in world affairs, the focus of world power is shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific Rim.

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are currently authoritarian leaders of the two prevailing Eurasian and Asian superpowers—Russia and China. In this course, Tom will explore and compare the rise to power of these two world leaders as well as their domestic and foreign policies.

Tom will focus on the strategic alliance between China and Russia and its global-geopolitical implications and consequences. He will talk about the emerging rivalry between the United States on the one hand, and China and Russia on the other, and its probable world-historical consequences.

The media and format of the course will be PowerPoint presentations and a few suggested weekly readings of articles and chapters from relevant books. Participants will discuss the presentations, readings and films shown in class.