where the US indeed traditionally has been the opponent of the other regimes
Has it? Relations between the US and China started thawing all the way back with Nixon’s famous visit, and with the reforms and investment and them becoming a major trading partner, those conflicts became a thing of the past. I grew up in the 90’s and the idea of China being an enemy was a pretty foreign concept back then. After 9/11, the focus was entirely on the Middle East, and I don’t recall anybody talking about, “We shouldn’t invade Iraq because we should be focusing on confronting China instead” or anything like that.
In 2011, US opinions of China were 51% favorable vs 36% unfavorable. In 2017, it was 44% to 47%. Then, relationships suddenly deteriorated afterward.
I attribute that sudden deterioration to two factors. First, with the winding down of the wars in the Middle East, it was necessary for the ruling class to drum up tensions elsewhere in order to justify pouring immense amounts of money into the military industrial complex. Second, with the abject failures in handling the pandemic, it was necessary for the ruling class to point fingers abroad to distract from its own failings. And what better place to point fingers than a country which handled it relatively well? “They only handled it better because they knew it was coming, and it was a biological weapon primarily released on their enemies.” Anyone criticizing US policy, especially if they compare it to China, can now be dismissed as a tankie and traitor, based on a conspiracy theory promoted by propaganda.
So what time period exactly are you talking about when you say, “traditionally?” 2019-2024, Biden’s one presidential term? Or the 1950s-1980s? Because there’s a pretty significant, nearly 40 year gap in that “tradition.”
but no longer are.
I also hard disagree on that point but this comment is long enough already.
Has it? Relations between the US and China started thawing all the way back with Nixon’s famous visit, and with the reforms and investment and them becoming a major trading partner, those conflicts became a thing of the past. I grew up in the 90’s and the idea of China being an enemy was a pretty foreign concept back then. After 9/11, the focus was entirely on the Middle East, and I don’t recall anybody talking about, “We shouldn’t invade Iraq because we should be focusing on confronting China instead” or anything like that.
In 2011, US opinions of China were 51% favorable vs 36% unfavorable. In 2017, it was 44% to 47%. Then, relationships suddenly deteriorated afterward.
I attribute that sudden deterioration to two factors. First, with the winding down of the wars in the Middle East, it was necessary for the ruling class to drum up tensions elsewhere in order to justify pouring immense amounts of money into the military industrial complex. Second, with the abject failures in handling the pandemic, it was necessary for the ruling class to point fingers abroad to distract from its own failings. And what better place to point fingers than a country which handled it relatively well? “They only handled it better because they knew it was coming, and it was a biological weapon primarily released on their enemies.” Anyone criticizing US policy, especially if they compare it to China, can now be dismissed as a tankie and traitor, based on a conspiracy theory promoted by propaganda.
So what time period exactly are you talking about when you say, “traditionally?” 2019-2024, Biden’s one presidential term? Or the 1950s-1980s? Because there’s a pretty significant, nearly 40 year gap in that “tradition.”
I also hard disagree on that point but this comment is long enough already.