Roguedinosaur.com

Greetings Readers,

The World Trade Organization, and the International Court will shortly rule on an escalating disagreement between the U. S. and China. The U. S. complaint is China is hording materials through trade policy for the export of raw materials, cobalt, copper, tin, and more crucial materials like idiom and other rare earth resources which if not gotten will hinder U. S. manufacturing. The rare earth materials are precious, vital and at the very heart of the issue. We currently get most from Bolivia, Argentina, and portions from Africa. If I were a Trumpite or super corporate patriot, I would say let’s get in there and get those vital minerals one way or another. After all we badly need them for running nearly all our economic machinery and for environment and defense purposes.

But hey, unfortunately those listed resources, particularly raw earth minerals are on and beneath Chinese land, it’s theirs to sell on the world market; however. a growing China needs most or all for themselves. Yep, they surmise they need more than one aircraft carrier and at least a dozen or so nuclear submarines to feel safe, not to mention millions of new hand phones, computers, and other electronic end items each year. This may turn into a big issue later in the decade and into the next. I believe the matter will be resolved peacefully, or maybe not, not quickly anyway. I have no cyrstal ball. China believes as does the U. S, in free trade and market value. Whatever the traffic may bear, but got it, we require it. Reminds me of the expats in Saudi Arabia who would say in Jest, ‘What’s all that oil doing under our land.’ It doesn’t work that way. The U. S. and Europe must get off their asses and find some somewhere to avoid conflict. There’s all of Africa and South America to search.

To be fair, in love, war and in relations we are often not fair. The minerals belong to them. How would it be if another nation told the us the same thing, to sell exclusively to them and disregard yourselves and the market.

I conjure a guess, that probably the reason we are painfully hanging on in Afghanistan for the long-term is because Chinese mining corporations, after paying off tribes, are actively extracting strategic minerals for over the border delivery.

I hope Eugene Debs’ dictum does not come about that ‘Every war of trade, sooner or later, turns into a war of blood.’ A little too pessimistic, or too early to tell.

All the Best.

Ron Miller.