Predictive History , Jiang Lectures , No Ads

In this Wednesday, April 8, 2026 lecture to his Beijing high school students, Professor Jiang introduces Dante's Divine Comedy. Notes and References:1. Dante: https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dan...

In this Wednesday, March 18, 2026 lecture to his Beijing high school students, Professor Jiang explains how Vergil inverts Homer.Notes and References:1. Vergil's Aeneid, translated by Robert Fagles

In this Wednesday, March 4, 2026 lecture to his Beijing high school students, Professor Jiang explains the central conflict of the Odyssey.

In this Wednesday, January 21, 2026 lecture to his Beijing high school students, Professor Jiang explains how Homer created Greek civilization.Reference:1. "Defense of Poetry" by Percy Shelley

What are the Great Books? In this introductory lecture, Professor Jiang explains that the Great Books are meant to help us achieve our true human potential by revealing the secrets of the universe. This semester, Professor Jiang will discuss five Great Books:1. The Iliad by Homer 2. The Odyssey by Homer3. The Republic by Plato4. The Aeneid by Vergil5. The Divine Comedy by Dante

In this Tuesday, April 21, 2026 lecture to his Beijing high school students, Professor Jiang explains America's national security strategy, and why this war in Iran cannot end.Notes and References:1. America's National Security Strategyhttps://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23...

In his June 13, 2024 class, Jiang Xueqin concludes his Geo-Strategy course by discussing how to use AI to chart a better future for humanity:In his Foundation series, Isaac Asimov introduces the science of psychohistory. Is it really possible to predict the future by mathematically modeling historical development?By mathematically modeling history, "Cliodynamics" has revealed interesting patterns. For example, Peter Turchin has discovered that it's the "over-production of elites" that drives social upheaval. The advent of AI presents new possibilities for the mathematical modeling of history, and can even help us achieve psychohistory. But to do so would require decades of painstaking research and analysis. It would also mean overturning the entire field of history, and looking at all of the past with a more critical and nuanced eye. Finally, much of this research and development can only happen in a time of global collapse, when all of humanity is united in creating an open, progressive, and democratic future. In his final message to his students, Jiang Xueqin stresses that the future is not something that happens -- it is something that has to be imagined and fought for.

In his June 5, 2024 class Jiang Xueqin explains Putin's strategic genius:In February 2022 Putin invaded Ukraine. At first, the war did not go well, and the United States had a three-point plan to defeat Putin:1.) Equip Ukraine to defeat the Russian army.2.) Sanction Russia, and cause it to economically implode.3.) Isolate Russia, and turn it into a pariah state.Today, we recognize that this strategy has failed, and Putin is triumphant:1.) The Russian army is dominant in Ukraine.2.) The Russian economy is stronger than ever.3.) Putin enjoys more international influence than ever.Putin's ultimate strategic aim is to destroy the American empire. He will succeed if:1.) America continues to over-extend itself militarily. 2.) America remains addicted to debt. 3.) America becomes increasingly politically polarized.

In his May 24, 2024 class Jiang Xueqin examines if Iran President Ebrahim Raisi's death was an accident or an assassination: On May 19, Iran President Raisi's helicopter crashed into the mountains, killing all nine on board. Most experts believe it was a weather-related accident. There are skeptics who believed that powerful forces within Iran stood to gain from Raisi's death. Raisi was expected to become the next Iranian supreme leader, and now Mojtaba Khamenei (the current Ayatollah's second son) is the favorite. Under the current Ayatollah, the 250,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have dominated Iran's economy, politics, and foreign policy. Their critics believe they have inflamed tensions in the Middle East, while causing stagnation and corruption at home. If Raisi were to have become Ayatollah, he would have to attempt to curb the power and influence of the IRGC in order to establish his own authority. Because Mojtaba Khamenei would be inexperienced and unpopular, he would have to rely on the support of the IRGC.This would allow the IRGC to pursue its most ambitious foreign policy goals, which would ultimately force a confrontation between the United States and Iran.

In his Friday, May 17, 2024 class, Jiang Xueqin explores who will win the US Presidential election in November: Joe Biden's 2020 coalition of college-educated professionals, minority voters, twenty-somethings, and suburbanites may not hold in 2024. Voters are upset about inflation, illegal immigration, and foreign policy direction.If Trump picks Nikki Haley to be his running mate, he has a very good chance of winning the suburbs, and thus the Presidency.Because of her ties to anti-Iranian organizations, Nikki Haley may become the fiercest advocate for escalation with Iran in the Trump White House.

In his May 5, 2024 class, Jiang Xueqin explains to his Chinese high school students how empire is eroding the stability and vitality of the American Republic: From 1950-1980, America's manufacturing sector accounted for 40 percent of GDP, employed 30 percent of its workforce, and enjoyed 40 percent of total profits. Today, it's only 10 percent of GDP, and the financial services sector is ascendant. Financial services account for 22 percent of GDP, enjoy 40 percent of profits, and employs 5 percent of America's workforce. This trend has led to income inequality, divisive politics, and economic volatility. Young people feel they are being left behind, the best and brightest are flocking to Wall Street, and corporations are focused more on financial engineering than on innovation. What's driving this trend? America's empire, which is causing foreign money to flood its economy. And as the empire becomes addicted to easy money it may have to fight a war to defend the petrodollar.

On April 24, 2024, Jiang Xueqin explains to his Chinese high school students Iran's geo-political strategy. Because the United States has military dominance, Iran must conduct asymmetrical warfare, and ask four questions with all its actions:a.) Does this action make my population more confident and united?b.) Does this action help me consolidate trust and solidarity with my allies?c.) Does this action help me win global opinion?d.) Does this action weaken the resolve and solidarity of my enemies? Jiang Xueqin argues that Iran's "Operation True Promise" achieved Iran's strategic objectives, and Iran's strategy matrix will determine all its responses moving forward.