China Uses "Environment" to Defend Increasing Its Control of Solar Power

Solar panels are not organically grown in a communal garden somewhere in Albuquerque's South Valley.  They are the product of petroleum (used in the plastics), coal (used to produce electricity for the factories) and mining of metals and rare earths.  Rare earths are the rare, sometimes exotic metals necessary for all high-tech applications, particularly computer controls and other features of photovoltaic cells. China controls 97% of the market, giving it monopoly control over the world's production of all high tech devices and alternative energy applications requiring rare earths.

China is tightening the screws, claiming that reduction of rare earth exports is necessary to protect the environment and reduce pollution.  So much for the hollow claims of "energy independence" from those who want to shut down the production of American-born energy (coal, oil, natural gas) and force the nation onto energy sources whose production is ultimately under the thumb of a nation that has nuclear weapons pointed at our cities, threatens our military maneuvers in the Pacific and has a wide espionage network on our shores stealing economic, military and diplomatic secrets. 

I think it was Stalin who said, "When we hang the capitalists, we'll use rope they sold us." Change that to, "When we hang America, we'll do it with rope they bought from us," and then translate into Mandarin to make it contemporary.