It is the refining of rare earths that is the challenge.
Explaining this to you seems to require ongoing repetition...

China has spent 3-4 decades developing a rare earths refining industry that is more competitive than all others and so nearly all others closed down - the west mostly lost the ability to refine its own rare earths. 

**Now USA cannot fight a war of any scale without Chinas approval.**

China maintains its embargo on any rare earths being exported where they could end up in military applications.

The US military is crippled for at least a decade.
So much for your free markets fixes everything Libertarian dogma - your ideological blindness to reality just cost you your global hegemony.

Good government is a major factor in the wealth of nations.

Solomonsatoshi

China has crippled the US military industrial complex with its acquisition of near monopoly over rare earths supply chains.

Yeah no one can dig a hole unless there's a government forcing them to dig it. Sure.

econ

You Won't Believe The Economist's Country of the Year!

denlillaapan

> China has crippled the US military industrial complex with its acquisition of near monopoly over rare earths supply chains.

Yeah no one can dig a hole unless there's a government forcing them to dig it. Sure. 