The Lawfare Podcast

Lawfare Daily: A Trip Around the ‘Hidden Globe’ with Atossa Araxia Abrahamian

Oct 21, 2024

Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, an independent journalist and author of "The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World," explores unconventional jurisdictions that shape the global economy. She discusses the intriguing concept of "selling your sovereignty" and its ethical dilemmas. The conversation highlights Geneva as a unique hub of wealth, the creation of a startup court in Dubai, and the unique legal framework of Svalbard. Abrahamian also reflects on how wealth influences governance, leading to surprising ramifications for nations and economies alike.

43:55

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Atossa Araxia Abrahamian

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Atossa Araxia Abrahamian discusses the complexities of global citizenship and how personal identity can transcend traditional national boundaries.

The podcast explores the role of special economic zones in global finance, highlighting both their potential for investment and the risks of socioeconomic exploitation.

Deep dives

The Complexity of Global Citizenship

Global citizenship is increasingly influenced by the interplay of national policies and the concept of belonging. The discussion highlights the author's formative experiences in Geneva, a city characterized by its international atmosphere, which shaped her understanding of identity beyond traditional national boundaries. Through her upbringing, she recognized the complexities of citizenship as something that can be bought and sold, as evidenced by the emerging passport industry. This nuance questions the rigid definitions of nationality, suggesting that people can identify with multiple cultures and nations simultaneously.

Intro

2min

Globalization, Nationalism, and the Evolution of Sovereignty

21min

Establishing a Startup Court for Economic Growth

4min

Manipulating Jurisdictions

14min

Exploring the Unique Governance of Svalbard and Its Implications for Open Borders

5min

Exploring Wealth's Influence on the World

2min

The journalist Atossa Araxia Abrahamian begins her new book, “The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World,” in her hometown: Geneva, Switzerland. She writes, “I began this book about the world on a lifelong hunch: there was something strange about the place where I grew up…I am, and will always be, a part of this world apart—a place defined by a certain placelessness.”

It turns out that Geneva is just one entrepôt of many on the hidden globe, which Abrahamian describes as a network of “spaces defined by surprising or unconventional jurisdiction—embassies, freeports, tax havens, container ships, Arctic archipelagoes, and tropical city-states,” which make up “the lifeblood of the global economy” and are “a defining part of our daily lives.” Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien explored these often far-flung places with Abrahamian, who described the origins of “extraterritorial domains” well beyond Geneva, in Mauritius, Dubai, Svalbard (Norway), Roatán (Honduras), Boten (Laos), and beyond—even in outer space.

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