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China-Japan-Koreas
Dealing with China's Rare-Earth Monopoly
2010-10-17
For three weeks, China has blocked shipments of rare-earth minerals to Japan, a move that has boosted the urgency of efforts to break Beijing's control of these minerals. China now produces nearly all of the world's supply of rare earths, which are crucial for a wide range of technologies.
China's leadership is by default, not because they have the world's only potential mines. The article does not mention that the USA was once the world leader in rare-earth production until competition from cheap Chinese products put our mines into mothballs. Talk about a "shovel-ready" project. Another problem on which our distinguished leadership (spit) is out to lunch on.
As I understand it, rare earths mining moves an awful lot of rock to get a small amount of product, very destructive to the local environment, which is the other reason we were happy to let China take it over, just like we're happy to let them and Mexico absorb the toxic by-products of computer chip manufacturing.

Still, when a country that hopes to take over the world engages in overaggressive behaviour, action must be taken.
Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418

#6  No mention of china activity in africa? I assumed their efforts their were related to rare-earths.
Posted by: flash91   2010-10-17 22:19  

#5  The two big American rare earth mines are located in California, which is being put back into production, and under a lake in Texas, which as of now, isn't.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2010-10-17 18:43  

#4  Wow - China is exploiting a hole in the market, and we think it's for strategic gain. I'm sure it's caused by global warming, oops, climate change, and we need to pass cap and trade to remedy this.

Good thing there's an election handy to deal with this.
Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division   2010-10-17 12:26  

#3  The Bureaucratic Caste was happy to see Yet Another Industry Deported From The Country, until it wasn't.

The rest of us, who were unhappy about the situation, were just yentzed, with no party to vote for who's going to take away the bureaucratic caste's power.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2010-10-17 10:48  

#2  The Lone Ranger and Tonto are out riding. Suddenly, a band of hostile comanches rides into view over the ridgeline in front of them. They turn around and another band rides into view behind them. They try a third direction and they're surrounded.

"Well, Tonto, it looks like we're in trouble now."

"What's this 'we' shit, white man?"
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2010-10-17 10:45  

#1  We WERE happy to let China take over rare-earth mining, until we weren't.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2010-10-17 09:52  

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