Ask Germany where Helium comes from. The Hindenburg didn't get to use Helium, because the US is more or less the only significant holder of it. And everyone else pays for that US monopoly too.
Russia exports shedloads of Iron Ore; essential to Chinese steel production and the bottomless pit of cheap steel goods that flood the marketplace. Rare-earth metals aren't a China exclusive. They can be found everywhere on the planet - in small quantities. Energy is cheap in China, which means refining rare-earths is cost effective there. (They happen also be a dirty industry nobody wants in their backyard). Why is energy cheap in China? They will burn anything they can get. And they have no problems with planning permission whatsoever? I'm sorry sir, that whole city is being flooded to make way for the three gorges dam. And you will vacate immediately or join the flooding.
A "Buy British" or similar campaign is all well and good, but I somewhat doubt that the Sheffield steel producers have used British iron ore for a very, very long time. (Most of them just blitz up scrap - not typically the premium product some would have you believe).
Globalisation is a thing; and despite hatred of it from both the far political left and right (for different reasons); it is a natural function of trade agreements.
Regarding good governance, well, there hasn't been that much to solve "at home" that doesn't go into the "too difficult" pile. So of course politicians will instead pander to fringe concerns to have the appearance of effectiveness while actually doing nothing on major issues.
It's took a European war to get Germany to wake up and spend what it's supposed to on NATO for instance. NATO countries have been trying that for several decades. Big picture issues don't tend to get touched because "too difficult".
Well, it's about bloody time we started addressing them, before war and the planet take their revenge on our own inaction.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
