The rest of the world is looking to the USA to pick up the ball and run with it to maintain our position as a superpower. Japanese companies such as Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Toyota have tried to put their money where their mouths are in this arena. They have all stated that if we would commit to rebuilding our rare earth materials manufacturing base to the levels of the 80's, they would provide all the capital investment needed to bring back both the research reactors and rare earth metals industries. They really, really don't feel comfortable in conducting so much business with the Chinese.
The sad thing is, I don't have enough faith in my government to trust them to do the right thing here. For his whole tenure, the President has been begging Congress to help him bring our manufacturing base back from overseas. He also has a firm grasp on the precious metals industry as well as the need for new generations of nuclear reactors that are much safer than existing designs. We have the resources, we have the manpower, and we have the need. What we don't have is the bank or government backing that is imperative to justify the risk. With foreign investors lined up to provide financial backing, the national banks have become a moot point in the process. But without governmental approval and reform to foster growth in this direction, nobody is willing to take on the kind of liability risk that the nuclear power industry has carved out historically.
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