Washington, D.C., July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beneath the Surface of U.S. Strength

What do the most powerful AI chips, missile systems, and electric vehicle batteries have in common?

According to former CIA advisor Jim Rickards, they all depend on a narrow list of minerals—and the race to control them is underway.

In a recently released presentation, The American Birthright, Rickards outlines how the U.S. may reclaim control of these vital resources thanks to a little-known legal provision buried in federal law.

“This story is not about real estate… the government retained the most valuable part”

“We have truly massive mineral wealth here. It’s not hard to extract. We know where it is. And how to get it”.

Every Modern Device Begins with the Earth

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and other sources, the following minerals are essential for powering today’s most critical technologies:

Application	Minerals Required
AI chips	Gallium, germanium, copper, silicon
EV batteries	Lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite
Military defense tech	Neodymium, dysprosium, samarium, tantalum, beryllium
Satellites & GPS	Indium, aluminum, rare earth alloys

“These seemingly obscure minerals… they’re the building blocks of everything from NVIDIA chips to advanced military weapons”

Sources:

• U.S. Department of Energy
  
• CSIS - Mine to Microchip
  
• Visual Capitalist
  
  
  

A Law Built for Expansion… Now Reimagined for Security

The law Rickards references—first enacted in 1872—was designed to give everyday Americans the right to claim public lands, often rich in mineral resources.

“Back then, anyone could make a claim… pay $2 to $5 per acre… and do a minimal amount of work”

Though overlooked for decades, this federal land holds vast amounts of mineral value—and Rickards says it could now serve a very different mission: shoring up the industrial inputs of the future.

Inside Washington’s Quiet Shift

Recent activity from the Department of Defense and Department of Energy as signals that federal leaders are beginning to act:

• The Pentagon is funding rare-earth producers under wartime powers
  
• The DOE is deploying AI tools to accelerate discovery of critical minerals
  
• New supply chain security measures target domestic resource reclamation
  
  
  

How to Watch the Full Presentation

In The American Birthright, Rickards breaks down how a 150-year-old legal mechanism laid the groundwork to empower America’s comeback as a resource superpower.

About Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards is a former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, U.S. Treasury, and White House. He has guided national leaders through financial, military, and geopolitical crises. Rickards now serves as editor of Strategic Intelligence, a monthly publication offering analysis on security, economic policy, and emerging global shifts.

Derek Warren
Public Relations Manager
Paradigm Press Group
Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com