“The US-China Competition: Who’s Winning?”, “Statement by Chas Freeman from beginning of video to 24:13”, Jun 18, 2022, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, at < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThQfmZSrQVY >:

And

“Chas Freeman ─ America in Distress: The Challenges of Disadvantageous Change”, “Statement by Chas Freeman from beginning of video to 46:53”, Feb 24, 2020, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, at < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvILLCbOFo4 >.

~~ recommended by dmorista ~~

Introduction by dmorista:

In both cases Chas Freeman is the featured speaker in programs presented by Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, of Brown University. The first program, “The US-China Competition: Who’s Winning?”, lasts overall for 1 hour and 32 minutes (Freeman's statement is just over 24 minutes long), and the more recent video, “Chas Freeman ─ America in Distress: The Challenges of Disadvantageous Change”, is just a bit longer at 1 hour and 32 & 1/2 minutes (Freeman's statement is nearly 47 minutes long). There is a 3 person panel type discussion, with some online questions, for the first video; and in the second video, after Freeman's statement, there are comments by the Department Chair and some questions. The other comments and questions and answers are also well worth watching.

Freeman, who is not any sort of leftist, but who is a keen and honest observer, makes many of the same criticisms of U.S. society that are often aired on and discussed in leftist media. The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, at Brown University has provided some of the most trenchant criticism of the U.S. Empire to be found from establishment institutions, so it is not a surprise that Freeman, who is also a fellow there, was invited to speak at a couple of their events. His criticisms of the U.S. include comments about the already mediocre and falling standards of education, the degeneration of U.S. Capitalism into a collection of rent-seeking Oligarchs who are in no way involved in innovation or socioeconomic advancement, among other observations. He also criticizes China, but the clear thrust of his comments are that the Chinese are well-positioned to replace the U.S. in its long-term position as the most influential society on the planet.

I am including a list of Freeman's career postings with the State Department here below:

Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. is a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, ambassador to Saudi Arabia (during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Chargé d'affaires at both Bangkok and Beijing. He began his diplomatic career in India but specialized in Chinese affairs. (He was the principal American interpreter during President Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972.)