Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy

Underground Empire examines how the United States has leveraged global economic infrastructure as a tool of control. The book investigates international networks—including fiber optic cables and payment systems—that the U.S. security state began weaponizing after 9/11 under the guise of counterterrorism. Multinational corporations like AT&T and Citicorp operate hubs that serve dual purposes: generating profit and functioning as government chokepoints. Farrell and Newman argue that Washington has systematically transformed vital economic pathways into instruments of dominance over foreign businesses and countries, both rivals and allies, to preserve American global supremacy. Current geopolitical tensions around trade wars, sanctions, and technology disputes reflect deeper structural shifts in how economic power operates. Using original reporting and documented cases, the authors demonstrate how ordinary post–Cold War economic systems have become mechanisms of subterfuge and coercion, and discuss implications for managing this emerging competition for economic empire. Winner of the Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations (Bronze Medal). Shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize. Named a best book of the year by Foreign Affairs and Responsible Statecraft.