Your analogy breaks down with "USA" and "growing wealthy middle class". If anything the result has (intentionally?) been the reverse. Other than that, not bad.
Africa is the key for cobalt, chrome, and platinum, everything else is meh on the world market. I acknowledge they make plenty of money off copper, but they don't control the world copper market like they control the world cobalt market.
Historically the resource stripping strategy in Africa resembled the middle east, put up a crooked strongman, keep him bribed and happy, and its all good. Occasional coup here and there. Not seeing why that successful strategy would be abandoned for a global war so not so impressed with that idea.
Another political/cultural issue you missed is its hard to give money/support to people in, say, Namibia, when their distant cousins in Detroit have a perception of a worse economic situation. I say perception because they probably are numerically better off in Detroit.
Comments
Your analogy breaks down with "USA" and "growing wealthy middle class". If anything the result has (intentionally?) been the reverse. Other than that, not bad.
Africa is the key for cobalt, chrome, and platinum, everything else is meh on the world market. I acknowledge they make plenty of money off copper, but they don't control the world copper market like they control the world cobalt market.
Historically the resource stripping strategy in Africa resembled the middle east, put up a crooked strongman, keep him bribed and happy, and its all good. Occasional coup here and there. Not seeing why that successful strategy would be abandoned for a global war so not so impressed with that idea.
Another political/cultural issue you missed is its hard to give money/support to people in, say, Namibia, when their distant cousins in Detroit have a perception of a worse economic situation. I say perception because they probably are numerically better off in Detroit.