Quote Originally Posted by rory_20_uk View Post
Given we appear to be in a post-woke world where everyone is equally valued and so on why is what their culture does worse than what we do?
This just makes you look dumb. No one besides literal tankies on the left genuinely support the Chinese government or its values.

I am a dinosaur and I personally (and very quietly these days) believe that cultures can and should be proponents of values they hold as "right" and declare others to be "wrong" but such old beliefs have no place any more.
Congrats, you are an American. Even our 'realpolitik' is mainly just value based decisions on how much to strongarm other nations into aligning with the US world structure.

I am unclear what "leadership" would stop China and Russia with their cyberwarfare given atypical warfare since the capture of the Crimea by Russia has been shown to work well... And America / Israel / the UK and many others are also at it, against both enemies, allies, their own people and NGOs. America, Europe and elsewhere purchase so much from China that without a strong Government forcing home grown industries this isn't likely to change.
Setting up a Digital Security Division with our best and brightest rotated in from Silicon Valley would go a long way to improving US defenses. We have better talent than Russia and perhaps China, they are just flocking to the private sector since it is so lucrative.

Trade deficits with China serve to bring them to the table as much or greater than force projection. Greater economic integration to the world institutions forces China to play by rules that US and Europe set after WW2. This is why Trump's leaving of Paris, Iran, and WHO was so completely moronic. These are all rigged in our favor, but US conservatism today wants nothing but complete subjugation as a matter of feels over reals.

Regional trading blocks with SE-Asia to set up sanctions will only grow more powerful as China's middle class grows and cheap manufacturing shifts elsewhere. China's place as the place to make everything is not set in stone and as living standards rise, Chinese labor is getting more expensive.

Expanding international aid and presenting alternative loans to Africa and SE-Asia will help reduce Chinese soft power in their belt-and-road beneficiaries. Ultimately China is either looking to put countries in a debt trap or legally occupy ports and bases in exchange for the infrastructure.

US funding of basic science and engineering enterprises has been lacking for many decades now. Quite frankly the US has a lot of untapped scientific potential that need long term grants to unlock.