US-China Tensions: Boosting ‘Rock Star’ Miners, Not Human Progress
While the FT celebrates Canberra emerging as a 'key partner' with Washington to counter Beijing’s critical mineral supply chain, one might inquire about the critical infrastructure collapsing in places like Ohio or how 'critical' these minerals are to the average American's well-being versus, say, a new F-35. It appears the 'free market' only truly delivers 'rock star' returns when governments,
not consumers, are the primary buyers—especially when those governments are engaged in a thinly veiled resource war. The real 'star' here isn't the miner, but the endless military-industrial cycle that profits from every manufactured geopolitical crisis. What else do you expect when 'competition' is just another word for 'opportunity' for defense contractors?