Another absolutely fascinating source is a website that is devoted to open source intelligence information. This leader in open source intelligence is the best you will ever encounter, and can be found at STRATFOR. [ ]. If you really want to know what is going on in the world, then this is the place to look for breaking news, analysis, and a deep insight well beyond that which you get from the media. I’ve been a subscriber for a number of years, and there is no question that it is a leader in my personal consumption of “breaking news.” There is no slant, but instead, it is just a reporting of what is happening in the world. There is no chasing of mystery, no rampant speculation, and absolute zero wasting of time on the latest fad story. You won’t find the Kardashians, or Paris Hilton. Instead, what you will find is first rate analysis by the two founders of this intelligence gathering organization, George Friedman and Robert D. Kaplan, who along with their staff, are perhaps the best in the business. http://www.stratfor.com
No, I wasn’t paid by either Foreign Affairs or STRATFOR, I just find that they, along with a plethora of historical texts and sources, allow me to put things in perspective. They also provide an excellent background on which to build a science fiction book. After all, accurate geopolitical analysis, to me, is as important as using hard scientific information in crafting a better science fiction story. It worked pretty well for Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, just to name a few, so why not here! ~ Michael S. Pauley