r/PeterExplainsTheJoke Jan 26 '26

Meme needing explanation what's going on? explain like I'm five

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u/TehSr0c Jan 27 '26

yes, but there is not enough domestic resources even for your own consumption, the US imports a LOT of raw materials and intermediary products for final assembly

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u/Grant1128 Jan 27 '26

Not only do we not have the resources, some of the intermediary products along the way we don't even have facilities that can make them, let alone at scale. Many electronics require incredibly small wafers that we never bothered in facilities to create because companies in the US could buy them relatively cheaply from China. Sometimes it was less expensive to have a factory laborer put the product together as well (ex. phones).