1 It sure does! The usual suspects used to say there were oil reserves there, which have not shown themselves yet. But rare earth minerals are more precious than oil these days, especially as the Gang Green insists upon our converting to electric automobiles (if we don't, poor Greta will have to walk everywhere -- hey, that would be a Good Thing).

You know what I think we need to do? Find a clever diplomatic way to set the Chicoms and the Iranians at each other's throats and get them at war with each other! I have no idea how to do it, but if it could be done -- get somebody else to do our dirty work -- what fun.

2 That's the old British strategem of balance of power. They used to do that all the time.  Worked beautifully in India, where they set the Muslims against the Hindus (not hard, given Muslims are always against everybody) and sat back and enjoyed the show. If we could do that with the Chinese and Iranians and Russians...

3 IF -- just IF -- we could get this impeachment crap to go away, and we could get Trump re-elected as I think he will be, I think there's the possibility that Trump and his sergeant Mike Pompeo might just be able to start going on just such a balance-of-power kind of thing as you envision. Pompeo is a 100% sharp dude, and Trump is likewise, if he doesn't have to spend 90% of his time watching his 6.

You do know that Pompeo graduated #1 in his class at West Point, don't you? And despite all the people talking about him eventually seeking political office, he insists he's happy right where he is.

4 And another thought about those rare earth elements... I read a few years ago, in an article comparing one car and another about their environmental footprints, that a Prius's footprint isn't so nice after all, because of all the rare earth elements that go into making up its battery. Mining them leaves one unholy mess. The article may have exaggerated a bit but it said that a Prius's environmental footprint was about equal to that of a Hummer.

TANSTAAFL, after all. Huh? You don't know that one? It's "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."

But pardon me if I don't lie awake tonight worrying if that unholy mess is now going to be in Afghanistan. Let the Taliban clean it up -- or sleep in it and die from the pollution.