Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

Description

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare

A New York Times Bestseller

An eye-opening exploration of how the United States transformed global finance into one of its most powerful strategic weapons, reshaping international politics and challenging the growing influence of Russia, China, and Iran.

For centuries, nations weakened their rivals through military blockades, invasions, and sieges. Today, economic pressure can achieve similar results without a single shot being fired. A sanctions announcement, export restriction, or financial directive can disrupt entire industries, isolate governments, and alter the balance of global power.

In Chokepoints, former U.S. sanctions official Edward Fishman offers a gripping insider’s account of the rise of modern economic warfare. Drawing on firsthand experience and extensive research, he reveals how American policymakers developed a sophisticated arsenal of financial and technological tools to confront some of the world’s most influential adversaries. As leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Iran’s Supreme Leader expanded their geopolitical ambitions, U.S. officials increasingly relied on sanctions, export controls, and financial leverage to advance national security objectives.

The book takes readers behind closed doors into the high-stakes decisions that have shaped twenty-first-century diplomacy. It introduces the diplomats, economists, lawyers, intelligence experts, and financial strategists who designed and executed campaigns capable of freezing assets, restricting access to critical technologies, and reshaping international markets.

At the heart of this transformation are the world’s most valuable economic chokepoints—including the dominance of the U.S. dollar, cutting-edge semiconductor technology, global energy markets, and essential mineral supplies. Whoever controls these strategic resources holds extraordinary influence over the global economy and international security.

As competition among major powers intensifies, economic confrontation has become just as significant as traditional military strength. The result is an increasingly fragmented global economy, an accelerating technological rivalry, and a new era in which financial systems have become instruments of geopolitical conflict.

Combining history, political analysis, and firsthand insight, Chokepoints delivers a compelling examination of how economic statecraft has evolved into one of the defining forces of modern international relations—and what that means for the future of the global order.

Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare