Abe Newman
@abenewman.bsky.social
W/Henry Farrell, Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy (Holt 2023/Penguin); Georgetown; This is a private account.
I spoke with @abenewman.bsky.social about how the US started weaponising control of international networks in the wake of 9/11 and how globalisation laid the foundations for economic coercion we see today. Watch the Economic Security Watch's podcast here: www.fdiintelligence.com/video/ed0d7a...
Economic Security Watch podcast | The weaponisation of globalisation
Political scientist Abraham Newman on the genesis and future of modern-day economic statecraft
fdiintelligence.com
Great conversation with @financialtimes.com Economic Security Watch on the weaponization of interdependence in the global economy. One key takeaway: weaponized interdependence is proliferating and governments and business need to be ready. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2qo...
Weaponised interdependence: How the US, China and AI are rewriting economic statecraft
YouTube video by fDi Intelligence
youtube.com
Oh no, the French press is already calling Bolsanaro's son "the heir". Fits well into @abenewman.bsky.social 's account of neo-monarchism. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System | International Organization | Cambridge Core
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System - Volume 79 Issue S1
cambridge.org
Scott Horton@robertscotthorton.bsky.social · last wk.Jair Bolsonaro's son is set up to run against Lula for the presidency. And people connected to Trump can be found around him in the entourage everywhere www.lemonde.fr/internationa...
New in EW magazine. Time for Europe to recognize that the rules of the global game have changed. To navigate, it takes political vision as much as any new economic resources. www.ewmagazine.nl/buitenland/a...
ewmagazine.nl
Following Charles II precedent, Trump lends pardon power to corporations. Neo-royalism anyone... www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Trump Extends Pardons to Companies, Echoing a 17th Century King
The president is the first in modern US history to issue clemency to businesses, with nine so far in his second term.
bloomberg.com
Lots of eyes on Canada but Brazil tariff just as bonkers. US going after a trade surplus country because of its internet content regulation and its bank payment system. This is not about manufacturing jobs but political dominance. www1.folha.uol.com.br/mercado/2026...
www1.folha.uol.com.br
BTW, both "Underground Empire" by @himself.bsky.social and @abenewman.bsky.social, and "Chokepoints" by @edwardfishman.bsky.social were great in this regard, individually but especially listened to back-to-back
Nice to be @npr.org's Book of the Day www.npr.org/2026/06/30/n...
A new book argues Elon Musk is the architect of a new world view : NPR's Book of the Day
A new book argues that Elon Musk has an influence in the 21st century similar to what Henry Ford had in the 20th. He's not just a businessman, but the architect and proponent of a world view. Historia...
npr.org
This is what neo-royalism looks like. International relations serves the interests of the court not the nation. The goal is to funnel wealth and status to the sovereign. Here, crypto is a means to that end. www.cambridge.org/core/journal... www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/u...
Trump Pulled in at Least $2 Billion After Returning to the White House
nytimes.com
can imagine @himself.bsky.social @abenewman.bsky.social drafting preface for new edition now.
The outcome of the war (so far) has been to show that weaponized interdependence cuts both ways, leaving the US no choice but to ease up on one of its own key chokepoints, incredible. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
U.S. Allows Iran to Sell Oil in Dollars for First Time in Decades
The decision temporarily dismantles sanctions imposed on Tehran’s oil industry, making it easier for the regime to repatriate profits from its crude exports.
wsj.com
1/As G7 pledges more action on Russia sanctions, Asia increasingly calling out weaponization of insurance market. See this from Editor in Chief at SCMP. @southchinamorningpostrss.newsmast.social.ap.brid.gy. www.scmp.com/opinion/chin...
Opinion | Can Hong Kong break London’s maritime insurance grip?
An alternative system is needed to end Washington and London’s ability to weaponise maritime insurance for their geopolitical ends.
scmp.com
Days before EU leaders gather in Brussels to discuss more forceful trade measures against China, Germany is wavering on key elements of the European Commission’s plans, including the use of safeguards to protect struggling industries from unfair competition nbarkin.substack.com/p/germany-is...
Germany is wavering on China (again)
The German government is reluctant to support tougher EU trade measures against China. Instead, it would like Brussels to develop new instruments. That could take years.
nbarkin.substack.com
Expansive post on our book by @himself.bsky.social whose work with @abenewman.bsky.social has been so illuminating. Interestingly, some of his points about Musk's geopolitical vulnerabilities we pick up on in a piece for @foreignpolicy.com coming later today. open.substack.com/pub/programm...
What would Muskism be without Musk?
The mode of production behind the man
open.substack.com
Kings love gladiators. Unfortunately now my kid cant get to school because of a security corridor... #neo-royalismisapain www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System | International Organization | Cambridge Core
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System - Volume 79 Issue S1
cambridge.org
Kate Klonick@klonick.bsky.social · 2mo agoIt seems overnight the White House has been replaced by a Monster Energy Drink branded UFC cage
experienced new circle of hell: AI agent telemarketing.
Estelle Getty: I Hate That! (Golden Girls)
ALT: Estelle Getty: I Hate That! (Golden Girls)
static.klipy.com
As weaponized interdependence proliferates, the risk is that countries will substitute one dependence for another eg ME oil with Chinese clean energy tech stack or US natural gas. www.wsj.com/world/hormuz...
Hormuz Crisis Exposes a Global Flaw That Will Take Years to Fix
Iran’s stranglehold on the strait demonstrates the power countries can exert over economic pinch points.
wsj.com
I'm thrilled to be writing GREEN GIANT for PublicAffairs.
More states are seeking to play at the game of “weaponized interdependence.” @abenewman.bsky.social and Leonard Schütte join #TheZeitgeist podcast to discuss this new phenomenon and how U.S. allies, particularly in Europe, have struggled to react:
Episode 148: Weaponized Interdependence in a Changing International System
The United States has exploited strategic networks and dependencies to its advantage in foreign policy. As the international system has transformed, more countries seek to play at the game of …
americangerman.institute
My 4 book picks this month from some incredible authors 🧵↓ - @sussillodavid.bsky.social - @stewartbrand.bsky.social - @himself.bsky.social and @abenewman.bsky.social - Katalin Karikó
Several stories today showing how fear of retaliation can paralyse EU planning on China 1. Germany & Spain lead opposition to Brussels plans to ban Huawei & ZTE from telecoms networks. They want to keep state-level control amid concerns that bans risk retaliation from Beijing
My sense is that this was part of a larger debate about extraterritoriality. @abenewman.bsky.social and I have long been interested in how we moved from a world where Helms-Burton etc were seen in terms of interstate dispute resolution to fights over states exercising power through networks
Extraterritoriality in a Globalized World
This article examines doctrines governing extraterritorial jurisdiction and their evolution in response to the forces of globalization. These doctrines were sha
papers.ssrn.com
Quinn Slobodian@quinnslobodian.com · 2mo agoI’d like to read more on the neoliberal critique of US sanctions post-1990s. I’ve always found it interesting that Hayek opposed their use against apartheid South Africa in defense of the greater unity of the world economy. This from my new @nybooks.com piece: www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
I meant to send you this yesterday for your interdependence file: www.dw.com/en/canada-to...
Canada to buy Swedish surveillance plane over US models
Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Canadian Armed Forces need the plane to detect and deter threats across the Arctic.
dw.com
It is hard not to see AI intimacy economy as mass commercialization of cults run by Big tech. Humans lured into turning their emotional energy towards machines. Given enshittification of attention economy, things that look quaint today could quickly turn dystopian. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
To Stay in Her Home, She Let In an A.I. Robot
nytimes.com
Charles Ornstein@charlesornstein.bsky.social · 2mo ago“The call came from the White House: We have to get this done,” the person said. About three months before the Pentagon announced plans to lend money to Vulcan Elements, Donald Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took an undisclosed stake in the company. @robert-faturechi.bsky.social
