He Taonga
Selling the wealth beneath our feet.
Albert Einstein famously said, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Sadly, we’re starting to get some idea of that third war as conflicts around the globe exhibit man’s inhumanity to man, and the future portends advanced weaponry based on drones, AI, and not an ounce of humanity.
It will not be fought over ideology or religion, but over resources. The Chinese, the Americans, and the Russians seem focused on securing the resources required for a fourth war, and it most certainly isn’t timber and rock. Rather, it is oil, metals, and, of particular interest, rare-earth minerals that are used in advanced weaponry.
Rare-Earth Minerals
As the world’s productivity shifts from workers utilising machines to AI-driven robotics, there is a diminishing need for people but an increasing, unending demand for precious minerals.
In particular, the US under Donald Trump has an insatiable desire to control such rare-earth minerals for its militaristic and economic dominance.
The impediment to Trump’s objectives is that he is far from controlling such minerals; in fact, China dominates, with 20 times the US's reserves and accounting for 86% of annual production (2024).
In China, America met her match.
For once, Trump’s sabre-rattling and trade threats were not enough to get his way, and he was forced to back down rather than see China cut off the supply of these minerals to the US. An unacceptable scenario for this particular President, who prefers bowing and scraping and certainly isn’t happy to have his authority challenged during negotiation.
Finding alternative supplies.
We all know that a big part of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is what’s buried under the ground. The same is true of Trump's interest in Greenland. He can already have all the bases he wants there for security, but behind the smokescreen, his obsession with the frozen north is all about those rare minerals.
Speaking of the North, Trump doesn’t even need to go all the way to Greenland because right across the border, Canada is emerging as a significant supplier and holds some of the largest known reserves globally.
It doesn’t take Einstein to see that Trump’s interest in his neighbour wasn’t maple syrup or people who know how to talk at a normal volume, as he made noises about absorbing Canada into the greater American Empire.
The US is dependent on these materials and lacking the reserves or output to compete with China, they’ve decided to set up their own supply network with more obsequious nations, their traditional partners, which is where we come in.
From The Guardian article:
“Ministers from the US, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance over critical minerals.”
These countries will meet to discuss how to “de-risk” China's dominance, although that is not exactly what we’re being told here.
Us, obsequious?
You’ve gotta say that if America is looking for loyal allies to shut up and do what they’re told, he has come to the right place. Foreign Minister Peters and the coalition have been at great pains to avoid criticising the US President.
Not even when their key ally was undertaking genocide, which they themselves were funding and enabling. Not when armed state thugs are murdering entirely innocent people in broad daylight in the streets. And not with all the claims of whatever he got up to with Epstein and underage girls.
Sure, we did turn down the chance to join the Board of Peace for Gaza invitation, which will oversee turning the Palestinian dreams of a homeland into a golf resort or some crap, but Peters can eat a little pie and then tell you he didn’t.
Mind you, I’m not sure that decision was driven more by morality than Nicola's hesitation over the $1b entry fee.
For the most part, though, our foreign policy is to avoid criticising Trump, to gladly give the US whatever it wants, and to risk pissing off our major trading partner, China, all in the hope that the next time Trump decides to unleash tariffs, he punishes us less than last time.
The riches beneath us.
So what does NZ have to offer, other than gratitude that we're not sitting on large oil reserves? Where do we come in?
When Shane Jones wore his MAGA hat and embraced the NZ Flag so closely that HR should be involved while yelling “Drill Baby Drill,” he was not just in a playoff to see which NZF MP could be most annoying; he actually meant it.
Whereas when those planning to dig up minerals beneath land previously protected say, “Don’t mind us, you won’t know we were here”, they most certainly do not.
So, what is going on with this Minerals Alliance? What are we giving away, and what, if anything, do we receive in return? It seems we’re not supposed to know.
From the NZ Herald:
Despite two government ministries confirming they are undertaking work related to a framework, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday called reporting on the discussions between New Zealand and the US “frothy” and “speculative”.
Luxon said that the Cabinet had not made any decisions and that officials were working through analysis, targeted consultation and providing advice to relevant ministers. Some officials are going to the US, presumably to represent us, which is nice, but shouldn’t someone who was elected by the people be involved?
The Prime Minister claims that none of his Ministers are involved, and it hasn’t yet reached cabinet. While I would normally find Luxon's claim that no one in his team knows what’s going on quite believable, I find the claim less reassuring than the PM might imagine it to be.
Besides which, I don’t believe him.
I’m sure a handful know full well what is going on, and like the arrival of the FBI goons in Wellington last year, it’s a needs-to-know basis, and most of them have no need to know; they just need to cast their votes along party lines as required.
Labour's energy and resources spokesperson, Megan Woods, said:
“We are not against mining as long as it is done in an environmentally sustainable way. Under the Labour government, we were doing work on critical minerals that would help us decarbonise and move away from fossil fuels like coal in a way that ensures jobs in the long term.
However, the government’s plans as outlined in the Minerals Strategy for New Zealand, combined with the Fast Track law and refusal to phase out fossil fuels, have led to greater environmental and climate risks with no public scrutiny.
Most New Zealanders would be upset that talks about mining and exporting critical minerals are taking place without transparency or accountability.”
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was concerned that discussions were “largely in secret and on terms dictated by the United States" and that this was something Luxon had not campaigned on. Swarbrick also said:
“When exactly did we agree as a country to be in Trump’s corner? There are far better decisions that we can be making if we are to, even for sake of argument, be thinking about mining more of these rare earth minerals.
If we return to some of the rhetoric used by both Christopher Luxon and even Shane Jones last year, as they were trumpeting doing more of this kind of mining, they were telling everybody that it was about our clean, green energy transition.
So it doesn’t take much to put two and two together and figure out that this is a house of cards.”
Needless to say, both NZ First and ACT were only too happy that we drop our trousers and give the US the best possible deal.
In my view, this is far too substantial for a government to undertake without a mandate and in secret. Our environment, climate change, and Te Tiriti are all concerns, and if we are to undertake any agreement, we must ensure we don’t get left with the crumbs off the table and upset other trading partners.
ACT seem to see following the US as some holy duty in the interests of preserving Western Civilisation or some nonsense. NZ First is happy to piss off the woke and attract the voters who enjoy that without considering the ramifications.
As with all things under this government, however, the success of a negotiation in our interests lies with Christopher Luxon, and, unfortunately, he doesn’t have much of a record in that regard.
I’ll leave it there for today. Have a good Tuesday, folks.
Ngā mihi,
Nick.
To end today, here is the beautiful He Taonga by Whirimako Black.
The most transparent Govt ever doing its best to put us offside with our other major trading party. Such is the level of stupid we have become accustomed to over the last two years.
This is excellent.
'The US, EU, UK to meet initially and discuss critical minerals alliance'.
The UK, EU, AND US ?
That spells 'U SUK.
SUK on that Donald.