Choke Points: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

'Destroying another country's economy previously required blockading its ports and besieging its cities. Now, all it takes is a statement posted online by the US government. In Choke Points, Edward Fishman, a former senior US sanctions official, takes us on a deep-dive into the backstage of power to reveal the hidden history of the past two decades of US foreign policy. While Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Ayatollah Khamenei were wreaking havoc on the international stage, dissenting leaders within the US government built a terrifying new arsenal of economic weapons. Successive American presidents have relied on these weapons to confront the most dangerous national security threats, whether good or evil. Choke Points provides a riveting account of one of the most transformative developments of our time, demystifying how the US government harnessed the power of Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and Big Oil against America's enemies. At the heart of this narrative are the pioneering diplomats, lawyers, and financial experts who oversaw the escalation of America's economic wars against Russia, China, and Iran. Controlling economic chokepoints, such as the US dollar, advanced chip technology and critical minerals, has become the key to geopolitical power in the 21st century. The result is a new world order: an economic arms race between the great powers and a fractured global economy. Choke Points provides a comprehensive account of how America pioneered a decisive new method of economic warfare, and how it is changing the world.