“with our power we can just buy the stuff we need.”
Until the Chinese, Russians or Ugandans decide we can’t buy any more, or decide a 1:1 trade gold for samarium is a reasonable price.
LOL - you do know we buy a LOT OF STUFF from the the world, right? I doubt some of the smaller countries want to mess with us - and as far as the Chinese are concerned? They’re a ‘First World Country’ now... they’ll work things out with us. Just like we will work things out with them.