http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/business/energy-environment/22rare.html?hp

This article is about our reliance on China's low priced rare-earth minerals. Most of American mines for the rare minerals have been run out of business because of Chinese low wages and total ignoring any environmental factor the mining may have on the environment (the landscape around their mines look like moonscapes). Some big mining companies in the US want to open up older mines and make new ones; they are looking for possible help from the government on possible regulation of the Chinese mineral market. The problem with this is that the Army relies on the Chinese low prices, which totally out compete any American prices. I think this is ridiculous because we should be focusing on our own economy. The only reason the prices are low is because Chinese workers are being exploited and on top of that their homes are being destroyed by the dust from the mines. It seems like such a horrible thing to be buying from the Chinese when they are using their workers so unfairly and basically infecting the surrounding environment with the waste produced. This is just another example of how money is the only thing that matters to big agencies, like the Army.