#6 Edward Fishman: How the US Weaponized the Global Economy

How the U.S. turned banks, the dollar, and tech supply chains into a weapon that isolates entire countries without firing a shot.

Edward Fishman is the author of "Chokepoints" and a former member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff. We discuss how the US transformed the global financial system into a weapon, the history of economic statecraft from naval blockades to smart sanctions, and the invisible infrastructure of the US dollar. We also cover the origins of the Iran sanctions campaign, how secondary sanctions force allies to comply, and whether the overuse of these tools threatens the dollar's future dominance.

Lastly, we discuss US attempts to wage economic warfare against China and what America may do if Beijing decides to invade Taiwan.

00:00 Intro: Threatening shipping companies

01:23 From naval blockades to smart sanctions

03:35 How globalization created "Chokepoints"

06:20 The Invisible Infrastructure (How the Dollar actually works)

10:04 Weaponized Interdependence

13:26 The Iran Model: Stuart Levy & the Treasury's realization

18:26 Why European banks obey US law (Secondary Sanctions)

21:19 Deterrence vs. rollback: what sanctions achieved in Iran

24:27 The bipartisan “sanctions work” lesson—and overreach risks

24:43 The sanctions‑relief paradox after the JCPOA

25:06 Why firms refused to re‑enter Iran despite relief

25:11 Business risk calculus and U.S. policy volatility

25:14 Polarization and foreign‑policy credibility

28:39 Russia: why objectives changed after 2014 and 2022

29:15 2014—Crimea, Donbas, Minsk, and deterrence limits

35:06 The “catastrophic success” concern35:26 2022 playbook: big banks, central bank, chips; crisis and calibration

38:42 Did the 2022 economic crisis distract Russia’s leadership?

39:05 China export controls: ZTE → Huawei → semiconductors

41:52 Taiwan question: limits of economic deterrence

42:14 Build resilience first: rare earths, batteries, chips

44:05 Is globalization over?

44:08 The mindset shift ending globalization’s foundation

45:49 Outro

Guest: Edward Fishman, Columbia UniversitySubscribe for more serious conversations on Geopolitics & History.

My guest

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/726149/chokepoints-by-edward-fishman/

Website: https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/edward-fishman/

Twitter: https://x.com/edwardfishman

Me

Newsletter: https://thehundred.substack.com

Book: https://www.marceldirsus.com/tyrants

Twitter: https://x.com/marceldirsus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/marceldirsus.com

I'll see you soon.