Michael Every: Resources Are The Real Driver of War – The Iran War Restart

The global geopolitical landscape is shifting toward a "dual-speed" reality defined by a US-China cold war, where control over upstream commodities and supply chains determines power. Michael Every, an economist at Rabobank, argues that the Middle East conflict serves as a strategic front in this rivalry, as the US seeks to manage energy flows to maintain relative dominance. Global markets are fragmenting, creating inflationary pressures as nations prioritize resource security over free-market efficiency. Demographic decline and the weaponization of critical supplies—from energy and fertilizers to rare earths—are forcing a structural shift in the global political economy. While gold remains a significant asset, it is unlikely to return as a formal monetary standard because the immense costs of re-industrialization and re-armament necessitate flexible, soft-money policies to sustain national power during this volatile transition.