The Market as Arsenal: A New Era of Global Economic Warfare

Contemporary geopolitics is undergoing a fundamental transformation, in which the traditional battlefield is being replaced by a complex web of financial and technological connections. This article examines the concept of the 'market as arsenal,' where tools such as clearing systems, maritime insurance, and access to semiconductor technology are becoming key weapons for superpowers. Through the lens of so-called chokepoints, the author demonstrates how control over the invisible infrastructure of global trade allows for the exertion of pressure without the use of military force. The text challenges the dogma of free market neutrality, portraying it as a consciously designed power architecture in which economic interdependence becomes a source of strategic threat and a tool for disciplining global players.