~ Publishes on May 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM CST ~

By Catherine Austin Fitts

Former British diplomat and intelligence officer Alastair Crooke is an independent commentator whose perceptive Middle East and global geopolitical analysis diverges sharply from the boilerplate Anglo-American policy consensus. Since founding the Beirut-based Conflicts Forum think tank in 2004, Crooke has addressed such important themes as the structural decline of U.S. and European power (and Western elites’ lost capacity for strategic realism), the emergence of a multipolar order (led by what he calls the “civilizational states” of Eurasia), and the ideological roots of Israeli policy.

John Titus and I have had frequent recourse to Crooke’s insights on Money & Markets, and this week I am delighted to have Crooke join me for his first interview on the Solari Report. And none too soon, given the fast-moving developments in Iran and the wider Middle East!

One of the most pressing questions we discuss is how to view the current conflict’s multiple fronts—military, trade, financial—on an integrated basis. We also discuss the escalating war on energy and U.S. efforts to control or bottleneck trade routes all over the world. The methodical shutting down of pipeline, production, and refining capacity suggests two possible (and not necessarily mutually exclusive) agendas: (1) an unacknowledged war between China and the U.S. to engineer the lowest cost of capital and energy (by curtailing access to essential resources) or (2) a radical and forced reduction in the general population’s energy usage.

I was also interested in getting Crooke’s assessment of developments related to the dollar as reserve currency and the U.S. competitive position compared to China. Though the unproductive financialization model, weighed down by corruption and grift, clearly seems to be coming to an end, its oligarchic instigators want to keep it going. The challenge for the rest of us is to avoid the financial repression and chaos where we can and stay focused on rebuilding civilization and a human future.

Crooke’s fascinating experience—Ireland-born, Rhodesia-raised, Scotland-educated, and with a stint in London banking before a three-decade career with Britain’s MI6 and twenty-plus years in direct contact with the movements that the intelligence apparatus was built to counter—make for penetrating analysis that can help you understand the deeper stories and the complex cultural dynamics behind propagandistic headlines.

The word Crooke chooses to describe the road ahead is “catharsis”—we are heading into a difficult time. His insights inspire our pathway forward and the possibility of the human future that makes it so worthwhile.

Note: This interview is public.

Money & Markets

In Money & Markets this week, John Titus and I will cover the latest events and discuss the financial and geopolitical trends Solari is tracking in 2026—and the pushback rocking and rolling us around the globe. Post questions at the Money & Markets commentary here.

You can also submit questions to Ask Catherine & the Solari Team.