#151 - Eddie Fishman: Choke Points and the Hidden Levers of Power

Episode notes

Eddie Fishman is a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, adjunct professor of International & Public Affairs, and author of Choke Points: How the Global Economy Became a Weapon of War . A former U.S. State Department strategist, he served on the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff and Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and led Russia/Europe sanctions policy - bringing a rare, in-the-room perspective to how economic power really works. In this conversation, we trace how “choke points” - where one nation dominates and substitutes are scarce - have turned minerals, microchips, and money flows into the quiet weapons of great-power rivalry. Eddie unpacks the geo-economic “impossible trinity” - why you can’t maximize interdependence, economic security, and geopolitical calm all at once - and what that trade-off means for leaders making bets on AI, batteries, and supply chains. Whether you’re steering strategy, procurement, or policy, this episode will change how you spot fragile dependencies, anticipate where pressure will build next, and engage policymakers before the rules harden around you.

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