China halts rare-earth shipments to US?

[Schadenfroh]

If one country starts to trend to a monopoly on oil production, yes.

What about a cartel of countries that set production quotas to keep the price artificially high?

 

[Patranus]

Its a shame that the "progressives" stonewall any attempt to develop the natural resources of this country.

 

[DrPizza]

China did this by selling rare earths below their cost to mine and refine them. No one else could compete. It's not that they're "rare" and only available in China.

 

[Darwin333]

If one country starts to trend to a monopoly on oil production, yes.

A select few countries DO have a monopoly on our oil. Just because there are other countries out there that produce it doesn't mean that they can or will sell it to us. China is buying up a fuckton of long term oil leases and long term purchasing contracts as well.

Please tell me, if SA flips us the bird tomorrow, exactly who and how will we replace the oil they currently provide us?

We are at much more risk from our current oil situation than this rare earth metal issue. Hell, I would bet they sell us the majority of the stuff that uses the rare earth metals.

 

[theeedude]

Do you understand what the "mono" part of "monopoly" means?

 

[techs]

And to think Obama DARED to try and do something about China's economic warfare against the US and other democracies!

Thank Jesus, the Republicans so love China that they cut his nuggies off.

Praise the Lord, that China can continue its economic program to destroy the working class in democratic countries.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Wow - that's really gonna hurt their record sales - just when they were making a comeback tour . . .

http://www.ephemeron.net/wp-content/uploads/cover-rare_earth-one_world.jpg

 

[PJABBER]

Wow - that's really gonna hurt their record sales - just when they were making a comeback tour . . .

http://www.ephemeron.net/wp-content/uploads/cover-rare_earth-one_world.jpg

You, sir, win today's Rarefied Reference Award Of The Day! :awe:

 

[techs]

Its a shame that the "progressives" stonewall any attempt to develop the natural resources of this country.

You do realize that these rare earth metals are not found in the US?

And that the US has been one of the most prolific sources of mineral wealth in the world?

And that the US has been so extensively mined that new easily extractable minerals are rare at this point.

And that the only options are to using amazingly destructive methods to extract a few more minerals.

So, stop your b.s.

 

[sandorski]

You do realize that these rare earth metals are not found in the US?

This is wrong.

 

[LegendKiller]

You do realize that these rare earth metals are not found in the US?

And that the US has been one of the most prolific sources of mineral wealth in the world?

And that the US has been so extensively mined that new easily extractable minerals are rare at this point.

And that the only options are to using amazingly destructive methods to extract a few more minerals.

So, stop your b.s.

They are everywhere in the US.

 

[PJABBER]

You do realize that these rare earth metals are not found in the US?

And that the US has been one of the most prolific sources of mineral wealth in the world?

And that the US has been so extensively mined that new easily extractable minerals are rare at this point.

And that the only options are to using amazingly destructive methods to extract a few more minerals.

So, stop your b.s.

You are entirely wrong.

The US has extensive deposits of rare earths.

It was economically more viable to just import the materials from China, especially as our environmental regulations made it very expensive to mine and process here.

For a dose of reality I recommend that you do some reading before further posting.

RARE EARTHS - U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2010

Rare Earths - Statistics and Information - USGS

 

[theeedude]

It was economically more viable to import from China because china lets producers get away with dumping chemicals into rivers and poisoning local population. But instead of saying "hell no, if you are going to play dirty, we'll put a tariff on your imports," we said "cool, let's import from China then, their pollution is not our problem."
Well, now it is our problem.

 

[PJABBER]

It was economically more viable to import from China because china lets producers get away with dumping chemicals into rivers and poisoning local population. But instead of saying "hell no, if you are going to play dirty, we'll put a tariff on your imports," we said "cool, let's import from China then, their pollution is not our problem."
Well, now it is our problem.

That is not really a solution, just as shutting down the US oil industry and importing all of it does not solve that particular problem.

The better solution is to do your damn best to be self sufficient. Develop your own resources to the greatest extent possible and only then look toward outside sources.

The US is really blessed with the natural resources - oil, gas, rare earths - that we are highly dependent on. No, not everything, but much more than you have been led to believe.

But those who oppose economic and industrial development, the anti-capitalists, the enviro-kooks, are hell bent on shutting down every aspect of industry. To do so they propagate such a wide range of intertwined restrictions that permitting and regulation suck the life out of our ability to be self-sufficient. They simply make everything too damn expensive.

So companies go to overseas sources. To avoid the penalties, to get the raw materials they need at a much lower cost. To stay competitive they use overseas labor that is willing to work at lesser wages and benefits, while our own population faces growing levels of joblessness.

And so our key manufacturers and our miners and refiners shut down. And so our capacity to be self sufficient continues to fade while our competitors and actual and potential enemies build up theirs.