Good question. The best answer I have found is that starting a mine takes a huge upfront investment the likes of which Ukraine does not have. But US investment would allow them to exploit these minerals that otherwise would stay in the ground. This deal seems odd though.

Can we just say it out loud: White Dudes Don't Want Long Hours For Low Pay In Service Jobs/Menial Labor

Is this really the headline you want as a liberal government today? Recreating Silicon Valley broligarchs in Britain?

I doubt a lot of Canadians have it in us to go for armed insurgency. I'd think we'd go for death by a thousand bureaucratic and climatic paper cuts. How are you going to govern 7800km of 10 provinces+ 3 territories as 1 state? What state government can do that?

Better analogy: 1800s "gilded age". You've got your robber barons, your colonial imperialism, your political violence, toxic nationalism, repressive racism, and so much more fun!

That's the effect for sure. The intended effect of Trump & cronies absolutely.

From the data on the marginal voters who turned out for Trump, it sounds more like deeply self serving transactional motivations, i.e. who cares about what Trump will do to girls and women when my gas bill is high?

The era of maximum transactional politics. Voters gave Trump power so he can('t) lower their gas bill and he appoints other creeps, johns and sexual abusers in return for obsequious loyalty. Let's just forget about explaining to our girls why a cabinet stuffed with abusers is governing their country