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_heimdall04/03/20257 repliesview on HN

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roxolotl04/03/2025

That potential end state isn’t possible is the point of my initial comment. It is as infeasible as the weather to control where natural resources are located.

Lets talk plastics. Plastic needs oil. We’re the largest oil producer in the world now. But we still import oil! Why? Because the oil we produce isn’t entirely the right kind for everything we do with it.

An end state where the US is an island cannot exist without massive shifts in production and consumption habits.

Maybe you’re saying though that shift should happen and that end state is good?

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milesskorpen04/03/2025

No, it's not a desirable end state. If we produced everything in the US — just assuming we had magic tech to make it possible - we'd have less and be poorer. Americans today live like kings from 200 years ago, in large part due to global trade.

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CharlieDigital04/03/2025

    > No, you're reaching for something humans largely can't control - the weather
You think commercial crops have no dependency on weather and growing conditions?

You should try farming mangoes in Vermont!

dragontamer04/03/2025

Where will you grow enough coffee to supply the USA?

jillyboel04/03/2025

Did you forget how growing crops works?

goatlover04/03/2025

> I'm talking about something we absolutely can, whether we produce our own goods domestically.

Do you think we could grow enough coffee, tea, bananas, avocados and olive oil?

walls04/03/2025

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