US missile stockpiles are running thin because China controls the minerals and parts needed to build them, which is bad for US military readiness and good for defense contractors selling weapons abroad.

• The US is short on missiles, and the bottleneck traces back to China's grip on critical minerals and components.
• When Saudi Arabia asked for military help, the US said no, then approved a $24 billion sale of F-35 jets to the Saudis the same week.
• The message is clear: Washington will sell the weapons, but won't fight the war itself.
• Longer wars mean bigger profits for defense companies, Wall Street, and big tech.
• Those same players are building out surveillance tools, programmable money, and AI rules written by the AI companies themselves — all of which concentrate money and control.

Outlook: Expect more arms sales and fewer direct US interventions while the missile shortage lasts.