Isn’t that like the whole point of globalization? It’s an equalizer for all countries in the world. For the US to realistically stay competitive in rare earths it has to run similar tactics that other countries with less environmental regulations use. It’s a race to the bottom.

The same could also be said about wages and income inequality. I don’t see how globalization will prevent the bottom half of the labor force from competing against Indian peasants.

> the whole project of demonstrating how the US is a superior place

Or just avoiding war. The "point" dissuades china warring against the US.

The nuclear weapons and the carrier battle groups do that, surely?

Messing around with the flow of trade goods to disrupt the economy of other countries that you're nontheless inextricable from is a form of conflict, but not a warlike one.

Petrol is stockpiled because the military needs it, not just the economy. REs are needed for many military machines too.