Subsea cables power the internet—but remain a blind spot in global policy. Jane Munga and Sophia Besch join Isaac Kardon to explore their geopolitical, economic, and security implications.
Subsea cables carry 95% of the world’s data—but remain largely invisible in global policy debates. In this episode, Isaac Kardon is joined by Carnegie experts Jane Munga and Sophia Besch to unpack the geopolitics, economics, and security risks surrounding undersea data infrastructure. From Africa’s digital development to Europe’s hybrid warfare concerns, they explore who owns these cables, why they matter, and how governments can respond to emerging infrastructure threats.
Notes:
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Oren Cass is driving these debates as one of the most influential conservative thinkers of the Trump era. Cutting against traditional GOP orthodoxy, he has long argued for more tariffs, trade barriers, and worker protections—anticipating and influencing many of Trump’s policies. Oren joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to explore the China shock, AI disruption, and Alexander Hamilton.
Jon Bateman, Oren Cass
The Paveway bomb, invented by Texas Instruments in the 1970s, was the first truly precise munition. It revolutionized America’s air campaign in Vietnam and allowed whole new kinds of “limited” U.S. wars in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, and beyond.
Jon Bateman, Jeffrey E. Stern
Jon Bateman, Bruce Friedrich
Steve Feldstein, a leading expert on technology and warfare, joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to break down these trends. Are drones helping defenders deter aggression, or enabling attackers to slaughter more civilians? Why haven’t we seen full autonomy? And has the U.S. fallen behind in the weapon class that it first pioneered?
Jon Bateman, Steve Feldstein
Ambassador James B. Story most recently served as U.S. Ambassador for the Venezuela Affairs Unit, located at the United States Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. Previously, Ambassador Story served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Venezuela Affairs Unit and, prior to mid-2019, the United States Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jon Bateman, James B. Story
