First They Came for Rare Earths—Will Gold and Silver Be Next in the Crosshairs?
When I was a young man, working the docks in Baltimore, I watched ships loaded with American goods sail out and cheaper, lower-quality imports sail in. Back then, we told ourselves it was all progress. But decades later, we’re learning the hard way that outsourcing our industrial backbone to foreign powers—especially adversaries like China—comes with a price tag we can’t afford.
That price just showed up in the form of the Pentagon dropping $400 million to become the biggest shareholder in MP Materials, America’s main rare earth miner. This isn’t just some tidy little investment. The Department of Defense is locking in a ten-year deal to buy every magnet MP makes, guaranteeing prices and even roping in Wall Street with an extra $1 billion from JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs.
Folks, this is the clearest sign yet: Washington is getting ready to nationalize the lifeblood of modern technology. And while they say it’s “only” about rare earths for now, you’d better believe they’re eyeing other critical metals—especially the ones that underpin our monetary system.
Why Should You Care About Some Obscure Minerals?
Because this is how it always starts. First, they claim it’s a matter of “national security.” Next thing you know, the government is in bed with corporate giants, propping up industries, fixing prices, and deciding who gets what.
If you think this ends with rare earths, you’re fooling yourself. The logical next steps are gold, silver, platinum, and copper—resources that not only power the economy but also represent a check on fiat currency gone wild.
Let me put it plainly: if the dollar’s credibility collapses—and it very well could, thanks to runaway deficits and the Fed’s money-printing addiction—owning gold and silver becomes a direct threat to government control. That’s why central banks around the world, from China to Russia, are hoarding bullion like it’s going out of style. They see the writing on the wall. And Washington does too.
Could the U.S. Seize Control of Precious Metals?
Some folks will say: “Frank, you’re being dramatic. We’re nowhere near nationalizing gold and silver.”
Well, I remember when capital controls were called “impossible,” when negative interest rates were a “fringe idea,” and when a “digital dollar” was a conspiracy theory. Now, the Fed is rolling out FedNow and openly discussing CBDCs—central bank digital currencies designed to track, tax, and potentially freeze your savings.
If they can weaponize the dollar, why wouldn’t they move to secure the metals that could replace it?
Gold isn’t just jewelry or a hedge. It’s monetary ballast. In a crisis—say, if the BRICS nations launched a gold-backed settlement system—Washington would have every incentive to lock down domestic gold production and stop private accumulation. They could slap on export bans, impose windfall taxes, or take equity stakes in mining companies “for the public good.” Sound crazy? So did a 50% copper tariff until President Trump announced it out of nowhere last week.
Silver: The Silent Battleground
Don’t sleep on silver. This metal isn’t just a poor man’s gold. It’s essential for solar panels, semiconductors, and the so-called green transition. If policymakers decide they can’t risk foreign influence over the supply of silver, you can bet they’ll come for it, too.
And let’s not forget copper—the “metal of electrification.” Tariffs are just the beginning. When politicians get desperate, the market pays the price. Higher costs. Shortages. Inflation. We’re already watching it unfold.
A Dangerous Precedent
Make no mistake—rare earths are unique in how concentrated they are in China’s hands. But the precedent has been set: if Washington wants something badly enough, they will take it. It doesn’t matter whether you or I agree.
This is exactly why I’ve spent years urging ordinary Americans to hold physical gold and silver outside the banking system. If you trust that the same institutions debasing the dollar will protect your wealth, I wish you luck. But I’m telling you—like a car that loses value the moment you drive it off the lot, fiat currency is engineered to decline.
When the day comes that confidence in the dollar evaporates, you won’t have time to react. You’ll either have your own store of real money or you won’t.
What You Can Do Right Now
I’m not here to predict the exact timeline. But if you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. The government just showed you how far they’ll go to control strategic assets. Precious metals will be next if the crisis gets bad enough.
Don’t wait for the headlines. Take action:
✅ Download Bill Brocius’ free eBook, Seven Steps to Protect Yourself from Bank Failure – Click here to get it
✅ Subscribe to Dedollarize News and get real-time strategies to protect your wealth – Join here
Your future self will thank you.
Stay vigilant,
Frank Balm
