This is GPS, the Global Public Square. Welcome to all of you in the United States and

around the world. I'm Farid Zakaria, coming to you live from New York.

Today on the program, the West watches wearily as Putin and Xi appear to get ever closer.

Like this relationship, a China-Russia axis formed the basis for a new global divide. I'll

ask the experts. Also, we will come after you and find you.

US Special Forces kill ISIS stop leader in a nighttime raid in Syria. It raises the question

just how strong is ISIS today. How much of a threat does it pose? Fawas-Gurgers will join.

Finally, from cars to milk to housing and more, we are paying more than we were a year ago

for so many items. Inflation is to blame for certain, but just how bad is it? I'll do a deep

dive that might surprise you. But first, here's my take. It's a tale of two Olympics. Remember

the 2008 Beijing Games? China was dazzling the world with its economic prowess and technological

sophistication determined to impress the world with its soft power. Praise, fill the headlines

in countries like Australia, the United Kingdom and the US. The Sydney Morning Herald said

that the opening ceremony was a perfect 10. London's evening standard described the event as

the beginning of China's new era of greatness, witnessed and implicitly approved by much of

the leadership of the planet. And indeed, there was George W. Bush, the first American president

to attend an Olympics in a foreign country, telling the press that the Beijing Games exceeded

my expectations. Compare that to the Beijing Winter Olympics that began last week.

Those same countries, the US, the UK and Australia, have all announced a diplomatic boycott of

the Games for human rights concerns. No major Western head of state is attending. The star of

the show is China's ever-closer ally and satra Vladimir Putin. The event itself is taking place

without the usual screaming crowds and Olympic cheers. Traveling to China is nearly impossible

...