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Japan months away from running out of yttrium as China cuts exports 98% (theoregongroup.com)
submitted 3 days ago by to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml
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[–] 5 points 1 day ago (4 children)

The bottleneck is refining capacity, not ore. A bunch of countries have rare earths, but only China has the factories, skilled workforce and scientists.

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  • [–] 1 point 19 hours ago* (3 children)

    This is also true and very immediately relevant for the near/medium term.

    But, if the US as a state/cabal of rulers is even still at all capable of long term planning, presumably they would realize the near medium and long term... 'problems' that could be 'solved' by at least starting the process of controlling the territory with the thing they need now and almost certainly will need in the future.

    I mean this is simplifying but think of it like iron in a civilization game. Its a critical strategic resource... very likely 'worth' fighting over, unless you are exceedingly competent in many other realms of statecraft.

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  • [–] 2 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

    There's no near term solution to the problem.

    Unlike a strategy game where you can just seize a strategic resource and immediately begin using it, in the real world it would be many years or possibly even decades after seizing a territory before they'd be able to actually get any use out of it. Everything from finding workers to developing infrastructure to buying insurance becomes really hard once a territory becomes disputed.

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  • [–] 1 point 17 hours ago* (1 child)

    I agree with all that.

    But we are both, or each, more rational than rabid US Christian Fascists and Neoliberal Zionist/Corporate Fascists.

    As I think is well evidenced by the US's objectively delusional uh, 'foreign policy stance', toward Iran.

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  • [–] 2 points 17 hours ago

    There's no way to maintain the empire and also preserve access to China's minerals. They either need to capitulate and negotiate with China (unacceptable because it ends their domination) or they need to start a war to occupy strategic resources (which we both agree won't work). Their fascism is actually a response to the irreversible decline of their empire, it's the only choice remaining that doesn't involve admitting defeat.

    It only delays the inevitable, but it does delay it. This is where the gerontocracy plays a role: it's rational for an 80+ imperialist to delay the decline of the empire, because when it inevitably implodes they'll be dead anyway and they hate their children so who cares?

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