Not all rare earths are created equal, and the more common ones are so commonplace and cheap that it'd be ludicrous to mine them undersea (even undersea gold mi

Not all rare earths are created equal, and the more common ones are so commonplace and cheap that it'd be ludicrous to mine them undersea (even undersea gold mining has yet to have an impact on the world market for gold). Further, it's an open secret in the mining industry that assays and estimates of deposits are frequently false, often by design. If you thought there was a lot of stupid money in ICO's and California startups, take a look at early stage mining concerns. China's dominant position in rare earth mining is probably better described as a "race to the bottom" rather than a monopoly position. Mountain Pass (now Chinese-owned, by the way) isn't going anywhere, and it, or a comparably rich deposit on land somewhere else, will get started up as soon as it makes economic sense. Speaking of somewhere else, if you've got money to sink into "heavy" REE mining concerns (with proven and verifiable reserves in the US) drop me a line.