Western Governments Choosing Between Two Paths: Suicide or Renewal

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Britain used to be an industrial powerhouse. It is no exaggeration to say that there might not have been an industrial revolution without the leadership of that country, and it certainly is true that the technological revolution would have been slower without Britain leading the way. 

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World War I led to the transfer of industrial leadership from Britain to the United States, and World War II cemented our lead over the rest of the world, although other countries like Japan and now China have become dominant players as well. Germany, until recently and because of NetZero policies, was a major competitor as well. 

Britain, and to a great extent Europe, are now also-rans. 

British Steel is closing its last steel plants--steel being one of the most important ingredients for all industrial production--ending a 150-year legacy of Britain being a major steel producer. Starting soon, it will produce...none

British Steel has announced plans to close its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, making Britain the only G7 country unable to manufacture its own steel.

Jingye, the Chinese steel group that owns the plant, blamed Donald Trump as it announced plans to shut key operations, putting up to 2,700 jobs at risk. It said the “imposition of tariffs” had made the blast furnaces and steel making operations “no longer financially sustainable”. The closures signal the end of steel production in the UK after more than 150 years.

Mr Trump has imposed 25pc tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the US that came into effect earlier this month.

Jingye said it has invested more than £1.2bn to maintain operations since 2020 but said losses have ballooned to around £700,000 a day.

The closure will signal the end of virgin steel production in Britain, following the end of primary steel making in Port Talbot last year. Britain has been producing the alloy since the 1850s, with the metal playing a key role in the industrial revolution.

Virgin steel is produced directly from raw materials such as iron and coke. The Government has been pushing for producers to switch to greener electric furnace production, which recycles existing steel. Critics have said this will make Britain more reliant on imports from abroad.

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Blame it all on Donald Trump, you want, but steel production has been on a long decline because, well, the British government wanted it to be. It was a policy choice they made. Steel, concrete, and all the major building blocks of an industrial society require inexpensive, abundant, and reliable energy, and the current regime that dominates the transnational elite hates cheap, reliable, and abundant energy. Even high-tech industries require massive amounts of energy, which is why Europe will continue to fall behind in computer services, network technology, and artificial intelligence. 

The NetZero/transnational elite future is one of stagnation and eventual societal suicide. Not only will the economy continue to decline, but the mass influx of undereducated, undersocialized, and over-ideological migrants is destabilizing once-great nations. 

The United States has the opportunity for renewal. Donald Trump may or may not succeed in reversing course, but he is the best shot we have at avoiding societal collapse. 

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