Money is a mirage. You can't use dollars to hold land; you need force projection.

Once upon a time that meant guns and soldiers, but today it increasingly means drones. Drones mean mines, factories, supply chains, chemical plants, and farms. Money can buy these things, but it's not the only way to get them.

You can chase the money around all day, but money is only one small part of wealth, and wealth can increase with no injection of money at all.