Trump's 'Rare Earths' Deal: Patriotism or Profiteering?
Deutsche Welle reports that Donald Trump signed an $8.5 billion rare earths deal with Australia, framed as a move to reduce reliance on China. The article highlights the 'strategic importance' of these minerals for defense and technology. Conveniently unmentioned is that 'reducing reliance on rivals' often translates to 'securing corporate profits through resource control,' a strategy as old as
colonialism itself. Remember when resource independence meant breaking from the British East India Company, not just swapping one dominant supplier for another US-backed one? This isn't about 'America First' so much as 'American Corporations First,' a playbook seen globally. One might wonder who ultimately benefits when such 'strategic' deals are signed, and whether the strategic importance is for
the nation or for specific shareholders.