ShortlistedfortheLionelGelberPrizeAResponsibleStatecraftbestforeignpolicybookof2023AdeeplyresearchedinvestigationthatrevealshowtheUnitedStatesislikeaspiderattheheartofaninternationalwebofsurveillanceandcontrol,whichitweavesintheformofglobe-spanningnetworkssuchasfiberopticcablesandobscurepaymentsystemsAmerica’ssecuritystatefirststartedtoweaponizethesechannelsafter9/11,whentheyseemedlikenecessitiestocombatterrorism--butnowthey’reamatterofcourse.MultinationalcompanieslikeAT&TandCiticorpbuildhubs,whichtheyusetomakemoney,butwhichthegovernmentcanalsodeployaschokepoints.Today’sheadlinesabouttradewars,sanctions,andtechnologydisputesaremerelytremorshintingatfargreaterseismicshiftsbeneaththesurface.Slowlybutsurely,Washingtonhasturnedthemostvitalpathwaysoftheworldeconomyintotoolsofdominationoverforeignbusinessesandcountries,whethertheyarerivalsorallies,allowingtheU.S.tomaintainglobalsupremacy.Intheprocess,wehavesleepwalkedintoanewstruggleforempire.Usingtruestories,field-definingfindings,andoriginalreporting,HenryFarrellandAbrahamNewmanshowhowthemostordinaryaspectsofthepost-ColdWareconomyhavebecomerealmsofsubterfugeandcoercion,andwhatwemustdotoensurethatthisnewarmsracedoesn’tspiraloutofcontrol.
