I agree with you that the US is markedly better than it was in the 1970s. The problem is is that we are improving at a pace below par for our wealth. Our progress compared to China over the past 50 years is basically a snail's pace, when they've gone to near universal poverty to on par with us technologically in that amount of time. America could have built high-speed rail, a robust universal healthcare system, better public education, more walkable cities beyond Manhattan and more in that time.
>I wish China the best. It doesn't have to be an us versus them
I wish it were that simple, but China sees itself as a strict competitor to the USA in a geopolitical sense. Once they believe they can take the thrown without catastrophic casualties, they will make the shot, even if it means a period of suffering and contraction, which they certainly have accepted in the past to further their aims.
If China were some backwards North-Korea type country then we could rest easy, but their rapid growth despite having a very controlling government has presented an alternative thesis to the "ideal system" that the US has touted as having since the end of WWII. All of our progress in these areas of social justice, equality, etc. will mean nothing once we are in China's sphere of influence.
I disagree. What we have seen is the absolute best possible case for China's command economy and I don't think that model will handle the current downturn, combined with Xi changing from a wild west environment to tight controls, combined with local government cutoff from their main source of funding which is new land leases. Have you seen the latest where China is requiring startup founders to personally guarantee profitability? China's highspeed rail isn't paying down it's debts yet alone setting aside funding for future large maintenance expenses.
(I hope this doesn't sound confrontational) Did we setup a universal healthcare system and fail? Did we intentionally start projects to build walkable cities and fail? I think Universal healthcare is a given at this point, we are reaching critical mass, but we need to actually do stuff to keep working to get there (including educating others in a way they can hear), not just complain or say we tried nothing and are all out of ideas. But not enacting specific things you or I want is very different from failing. I haven't seen the USA fail at those things, just not move in those directions. So lets put in the work, not spin out on the internet. I get so motivated in my local community. We lost our major employers but we've improved our downtown, added so much flowers/art/beauty, added walking/hiking/mountain biking/snow shoeing/cross country skiing trails. We have community gardens where you can go and grow your own food. Every year the people here make the town better instead of letting it go back which it easily could have.
Again I really like China and its people. I am so happy so many have been lifted out of poverty, I am ecstatic at their success even, it is something to celebrate. I look forward to us reaching a balance, just like 80s freaked out America reached a balance with juggernaut Japan that was going to own the entire USA.
>I wish China the best. It doesn't have to be an us versus them
I wish it were that simple, but China sees itself as a strict competitor to the USA in a geopolitical sense. Once they believe they can take the thrown without catastrophic casualties, they will make the shot, even if it means a period of suffering and contraction, which they certainly have accepted in the past to further their aims.
If China were some backwards North-Korea type country then we could rest easy, but their rapid growth despite having a very controlling government has presented an alternative thesis to the "ideal system" that the US has touted as having since the end of WWII. All of our progress in these areas of social justice, equality, etc. will mean nothing once we are in China's sphere of influence.