Lawfare Daily: Emily Benson on What Economic Security Is, and How We Should Think About It
Summary
Peter Harrell and Emily Benson discuss the definition of economic security, arguing for resilience in critical infrastructure like water and power over a narrow focus on chips. They analyze Europe’s struggle to decouple from US tech due to structural dependencies and trust issues, while also examining China’s evolving export controls and leverage over critical minerals and pharmaceuticals.
Topics discussed
Introduction and the concept of economic security
Defining economic security: Left, Right, and National Security views
Civilian vs. military supply chains and infrastructure resilience
The role of semiconductors in economic security
Europe's push to build tech champions and reduce US dependence
Trust issues: Greenland, kill switches, and US cyber capabilities
Feasibility of de-risking from US tech and EU policy challenges
US-China strategy: Export controls vs. strategic indispensability
China's evolving export control and coercive economic toolkit
Vulnerabilities in critical minerals, pharma, and defense supply chains
Bridging the gap between government, think tanks, and private sector
The importance of open information and the Huawei/ZTE precedent
Building US government capacity and institutional memory
Career advice for economic security professionals
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