They have systems, of course.
Generally, they broke up the industries of the world to ensure that each nation had major dependencies upon foreign nations.
For example, the U.S. is dependent upon foreign mining for aluminum. Bauxite is the chief source of alumina, and we mine none any longer.
Various parts of the steel industry have been broken up and divided. Nuclear power was completely dismantled and innovation of new reactor models was stalled. This has made us dependent on coal mining and set us up for regulatory hassle on climate and other concerns.
Why does the U.S. export food to other nations but import the same food to sell from other nations? We export under federal grant food to foreign nations who become dependent while we buy food from countries at a much higher price than what it would sell for, locally. This is why these nations can survive with 60% corporate tax rates and other such stuff. We literally subsidize their governments by buying their food or other resources at much higher market prices and letting them tax the bejeesus out of those revenues.
By keeping economies split up and "international" - they hold immense power over the consequences of embargoes, wars, and other such things.
Just follow Q's drop about steel and look at how it works. The Chinese are scrambling to produce consumer goods, build power plants, etc. They can't automate fast enough. They can't mine enough.
But we buy massive amounts of their steel and reduce their domestic supply/availability. It sells for much more here than it will domestically, and such tactics are necessary to keep the Yuan afloat amid massive amounts of government debt and currency manipulation.
Meanwhile, our own production of steel declines and can't compete with the various offerings from other parts of the world.
Look at various other industries and how it plays out in a similar manner. All of this must be undone and our economies pieced back together to allow each nation to be largely self-sufficient.