China's secret trade war option: A rare earth embargo

[dalton99a]

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/381282-chinas-secret-trade-war-option-a-rare-earth-embargo

China's secret trade war option: A rare earth embargo
By Victoria Bruce, Opinion Contributor — 04/02/18 01:50 PM EDT

The chemical elements on the periodic table with atomic numbers 57 through 71 make up the critical elements called rare earths. Two more, Scandium and Yttrium, reside elsewhere on the periodic table and complete the group.

The U.S. is 100 percent import-dependent on all of these critical defense materials and 100 percent import-dependent exclusively on China for these materials after they are processed into metallic form (the state required for most technology and defense applications).

Rare earth metals are so critical and in so many defense components for guided missiles, smart bombs, targeting lasers, sonar, radar, night vision and high temperature resistant metals for military jet engines, that if China cut us off, the U.S. could not replace or build most of our advanced weapon systems.

These materials are also found in smart phones, small electric motors, sensors and catalysts in automobiles, computers, commercial aircraft and most green technology. If China embargoed these materials the U.S. would be forced to shut down all or most of our nation’s technology manufacturing assembly lines.

[marble falls]

1. That Cheetolini sure is a scamp!

[WhiteTara]

2. Job job, trumpy.

Maybe we can turn the cabal over to China, apparently they are very good at handling those considered traitors. A few years in a Chinese prison might make them long for a cell in Mississippi.

[malaise]

3. He's a moron

He actually beleives he's the emperor of the world - he will learn