In this episode of Coercive Capital, Elaine Dezenski hosts David Rader, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies along with Wes Spurlock, Senior Advisor and Co-Founder of the Office of Strategic Capital at the Department of Defense and a former U.S. Air Force Military Officer. They discuss the supply chain economics of the Department of Defense, adversarial capital, and much more.

In this episode of Coercive Capital, Elaine Dezenski hosts David Rader, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies along with Wes Spurlock, Senior Advisor and Co-Founder of the Office of Strategic Capital at the Department of Defense and a former U.S. Air Force Military Officer. They discuss the supply chain economics of the Department of Defense, adversarial capital, and much more.

Coercive Capital explores the intersection of U.S. economic and national security and global financial reform. Global adversaries are weaponizing our trade and financial systems, while Illicit financial flows, kleptocracy, and organized crime continue to erode democratic systems and destabilize economies. Elaine Dezenski brings together experts who understand these emerging threats and provide insights into the risks and emerging opportunities to strengthen our collective response.

Coercive Capital with Elaine Dezenski

In this episode of Coercive Capital, Elaine Dezenski hosts David Rader, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, along with Wes Spurlock, Senior Advisor and Co-Founder of the Office of Strategic Capital at the Department of Defense and a former U.S. Air Force Military Officer. They discuss the supply chain economics of the Department of Defense, adversarial capital, and much more.

Coercive Capital: Department of Defense Supply Chain Economics - Wes Spurlock and David Rader

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5343b3a0-6a2d-47f0-8836-b3310156b9fa/transcript

Andrew King, Executive Director of Future Union, joins Coercive Capital to expose how authoritarian financial flows are quietly reshaping democratic institutions—from pensions and universities to policy circles.

In this 50-minute interview, King breaks down:

– The origins of Future Union and why clean capital is essential

– The real-world risk of foreign influence in American finance

– The Clean Capital Pledge and how reform is starting to take hold

– Concrete examples of capture—and what we can do about it

Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of finance, power, and democracy.

Visit: illicitedge.com

Questions? Contact: elaine@illicitedge.com 

Andrew King, Executive Director of Future Union, joins Coercive Capital to expose how authoritarian financial flows are quietly reshaping democratic institutions—from pensions and universities to policy circles.In this 50-minute interview, King breaks down:– The origins of Future Union and why clean capital is essential– The real-world risk of foreign influence in American finance– The Clean Capital Pledge and how reform is starting to take hold– Concrete examples of capture—and what we can do about itSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of finance, power, and democracy.Visit: illicitedge.comQuestions? Contact: elaine@illicitedge.com

Andrew King, Executive Director of Future Union, joins Coercive Capital to expose how authoritarian financial flows are quietly reshaping democratic institutions—from pensions and universities to policy circles.

In this 50-minute interview, King breaks down:
– The origins of Future Union and why clean capital is essential
– The real-world risk of foreign influence in American finance
– The Clean Capital Pledge and how reform is starting to take hold
– Concrete examples of capture—and what we can do about it

Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of finance, power, and democracy.

Visit: illicitedge.com
Questions? Contact: elaine@illicitedge.com

The Clean Capital Shift: Andrew King Talks Risks and Opportunities

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1beb8375-a4f6-428e-9ad2-b331010514db/transcript

How did the Chinese Communist Party build near-total control over the world’s most critical battery inputs? And how can the U.S. respond before it’s too late?

Josh Birenbaum of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins Elaine Dezenski on Coercive Capital to discuss their new report which breaks down the CCP’s strategic capture of the global battery supply chain—and outline what it will take for the United States to regain control.

Based on FDD’s July 2025 report, “Unplugging Beijing,” this episode offers a practical, urgent blueprint for restoring American battery independence.



Topics include:

How China cornered the lithium, nickel, and graphite markets

The role of state-backed firms in Beijing’s battery dominance

Why market solutions alone won’t solve the problem

What U.S. policymakers must do now—and who’s already behind



Hosted by Elaine Dezenski.

New episodes weekly on Coercive Capital.

How did the Chinese Communist Party build near-total control over the world’s most critical battery inputs? And how can the U.S. respond before it’s too late?Josh Birenbaum of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins Elaine Dezenski on Coercive Capital to discuss their new report which breaks down the CCP’s strategic capture of the global battery supply chain—and outline what it will take for the United States to regain control.Based on FDD’s July 2025 report, “Unplugging Beijing,” this episode offers a practical, urgent blueprint for restoring American battery independence. Topics include:How China cornered the lithium, nickel, and graphite marketsThe role of state-backed firms in Beijing’s battery dominanceWhy market solutions alone won’t solve the problemWhat U.S. policymakers must do now—and who’s already behind Hosted by Elaine Dezenski.New episodes weekly on Coercive Capital.

How did the Chinese Communist Party build near-total control over the world’s most critical battery inputs? And how can the U.S. respond before it’s too late?

Josh Birenbaum of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins Elaine Dezenski on Coercive Capital to discuss their new report which breaks down the CCP’s strategic capture of the global battery supply chain—and outline what it will take for the United States to regain control. 

Based on FDD’s July 2025 report, “Unplugging Beijing,” this episode offers a practical, urgent blueprint for restoring American battery independence.

Topics include:

How China cornered the lithium, nickel, and graphite markets
The role of state-backed firms in Beijing’s battery dominance
Why market solutions alone won’t solve the problem
What U.S. policymakers must do now—and who’s already behind

Hosted by Elaine Dezenski.
New episodes weekly on Coercive Capital.

Unplugging Beijing: How to Reclaim America’s Battery Supply Chain

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7c38b746-d479-486f-a247-b331010953df/transcript

From the jungles of Mindanao to the back alleys of Damascus, Tom Sanderson has gathered intelligence the hard way. This episode of Coercive Capital is a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of global risk, drawn from firsthand encounters in conflict zones worldwide.



Host Elaine Dezenski and Sanderson explore:



The role of fieldwork in modern intelligence

How proxy networks and non-state actors shape today’s power landscape

The blind spots that leave institutions vulnerable

What Sanderson is watching next

Essential listening for anyone navigating today’s complex risk environment.

From the jungles of Mindanao to the back alleys of Damascus, Tom Sanderson has gathered intelligence the hard way. This episode of Coercive Capital is a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of global risk, drawn from firsthand encounters in conflict zones worldwide. Host Elaine Dezenski and Sanderson explore: The role of fieldwork in modern intelligenceHow proxy networks and non-state actors shape today’s power landscapeThe blind spots that leave institutions vulnerableWhat Sanderson is watching nextEssential listening for anyone navigating today’s complex risk environment.

From the jungles of Mindanao to the back alleys of Damascus, Tom Sanderson has gathered intelligence the hard way. This episode of Coercive Capital is a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of global risk, drawn from firsthand encounters in conflict zones worldwide.

Host Elaine Dezenski and Sanderson explore:

The role of fieldwork in modern intelligence
How proxy networks and non-state actors shape today’s power landscape
The blind spots that leave institutions vulnerable
What Sanderson is watching next
Essential listening for anyone navigating today’s complex risk environment.

Human Intelligence in Conflict Zones | Coercive Capital

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/928e4dba-d856-4f84-b74a-b3310131014a/transcript

Coercive Capital: Department of Defense Supply Chain Economics - Wes Spurlock and David Rader

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