Venezuela Opens Its Gold and Rare Earths to U.S. Mining

Rare earths keep getting less rare by the day.

Opening gold resources to highly developed countries is a major environmental win, mining is bad for the environment and *unethical mining* is far worse. In Brazil there are skirmishes between rogue miners and tribesmen with bows – the mining can endanger people’s health.

It’s the same story every time…

>3rd world dictator: the west covets our vast mineral wealth!
>1st world: if you have vast mineral wealth then why are your people starving?
>3rd world dictator: …
>3rd world dictator: >:(