Opinion: China is quietly destroying the dollar — and that’ll cost you. Fight back with these money moves.

Market Watch ^ | 20 Dec 2025 | Charlie Garcia

[DUMBGRUNT]

When the U.S. dollar loses its monopoly on pricing the world’s critical resources, Americans’ purchasing power weakens

The dollar losing monopoly power is a slow leak, not a blowout. But slow leaks still leave you flat.

If the 21st century runs on anything besides oil, it runs on African rocks.

[DUMBGRUNT]

ALNICO magnets are still used, but neodymium magnets are much stronger.

Sometimes called rare-earth magnets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neodymium_magnet

Fun things, I placed a fair-sized neodymium N52 on my CEO’s refrigerator, took him some time, help, and two pairs of vice grips to remove it without scratching or denting.

Crazy strong and I have seen a few accidents needing stitches from them.

[DUMBGRUNT]

A quick search brings up:
While complete autarky (total economic self-sufficiency) is virtually impossible today, North Korea is the closest modern example, driven by its Juche ideology, but even it trades heavily with China. Historically, regimes like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Francoist Spain pursued autarkic policies to limit trade and prepare for conflict, though they never achieved perfect isolation, while countries like Bhutan have limited outside economic ties.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

I fully understand your point, but the "quick search" -- AI? -- notes from your quote that "North Korea is the closest modern example, driven by its Juche ideology, but even it trades heavily with China."

While the Wiki ( and therefore AI / LLM heuristics ) links to autocratic examples as "closest modern example", the word is less tainted in simple meaning:

Autarky --

1
: self-sufficiency, independence
specifically : national economic self-sufficiency and independence
2
: a policy of establishing a self-sufficient and independent national economy

Source: Merriam-Webster

1 . the condition of self-sufficiency, especially economic, as applied to a nation.
2. a national policy of economic independence.

Source: Dictionary.com

"Autarky is an economic system of self-sufficiency and limited trade. A country is said to be in a complete state of autarky if it has a closed economy, which means that it does not engage in international trade with any other country."

Source: Britannica

"A person or thing that can sustain itself without external aid or support from self-sustainer"

Source: Power Thesaurus

Some nations can be more self-sufficient, and some are less able. I had commented at # 6 -- "This nation can be far more autarkic than 'our idiotic leadership' allows it to be, because if we were more self-sufficient, those international middlemen would lose their grip."

Certainly the Clinton's offshore strategies like Uranium One are the opposite of "self-sufficiency." Outright globalist. Certainly, as we awake to find China dominates the precursor chemicals market for medications, and certainly as we find Magnequench is rather Chinese owned, we would do well to become -- as the simple definitions above suggest -- more self-sufficient. Instead we watch this month US Magnesium's bankruptcy, as the counterpoint to Chinese control of that mineral production. That "closest modern example" is not an example at all, per basic definitions. Certainly the Clinton's offshore strategies like Uranium One and decades of off-shoring are the antithesis of self-sufficiency within our borders.

If "autarky" as a term annoys, then I'll couch my comment in "a policy of establishing a self-sufficient and independent national economy" as Merriam Webster defines.

It is rather likely this thread will not be followed like those with hundreds and, in more than one case, thousands of participants. So this small difference in terms of voacbulary is minor in the big scheme of things. Best wishes.

[DUMBGRUNT]

How about we agree to disagree, for the Festivus season?

This is a difficult time for me; our children have grown and trained well, and my time is over.

#1 son did three runs in Anbur, USMC Grunt, now an educator and avid rock climber, and at this moment climbing near Las Vegas with his family, will return tonight.
#1 daughter, worked as a cell tower technician, up at the top, also a celltower rescue instructor.
Now she climbed up to a corporate director seat.
The result of all but one family vacation
to a rock or ice climbing area.
My wife insisted that all children experience Disney World at least once. An expensive time standing in line, no one liked it.

A formidable pair that enabled me to stay ahead. Six grandkids moving up, one starting driver’s ed...

My feats of strength are mostly gone, and airing of the grievances, more of my loud shouting than defensive.

“Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

Time to abdicate.

With a few hours left to train, I must run.

Happy Festivus!

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

---- "Happy Festivus!"

Ah ha! A Seinfeld fan. If this is "a difficult time," I send strength. If too serious, I send a laugh and a smile. While there may be "no soup" for some, I suspect our cups "runneth over."

Happy Christmas, and a safe "slide" into the New Year.