From [HERE] As retired foreign ministers, ambassadors, CEOs, bankers and academics gathered at the secretive Trilateral Commission's first global plenary meeting in India, perhaps the most influential individual sat quietly off to the side, listening.

James Baker, director of the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment, was not even on the list of participants at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. But his takeaways from the meeting could find their way into policies that shape the world.

Baker is the successor to legendary defense strategist Andrew Marshall, who headed the office for 42 years. He is responsible for providing the Secretary of Defense with an assessment of U.S. military capabilities relative to other actors 20 to 30 years down the road.

One particular speech may have caught Baker's attention, for it captured the essence of the three-day discussion, held from Friday through Sunday. "The Biden administration is trying to convince the world that there is this titanic struggle between autocracies and democracies. I am skeptical about that," a speaker said. Instead, the world is fragmented, with countries -- including the U.S. -- looking out for their self-interests, the speaker added.

The Trilateral Commission is a nongovernmental organization that seeks to deepen understanding between the U.S., Europe and Asia. [MORE]