[rm_-rf_slash]

We in the West have the privilege of using our culture of free expression and open communication to create marvels like pizza and burgers, and then oversell these marvels to the Chinese as brands that can never be 100% replicated, like Pizza Hut and McDonald's.

China will never be cool. Powerful, but not sexy. Keep being original and interesting, and you will be a part of the winning team.

[duncan_bayne]

Paul Graham gave the example of members of the Manhattan Project having lock-picking and safe-cracking as hobbies; that almost certainly wouldn't have been a thing on the NAZI side, and nicely illustrates the difference between the two.

[MrMullen]

As the saying goes; "China has Pandas, China has kung-foo, but America invented Kung-foo Panda. That would never happen in China."

[rm_-rf_slash]

Bingo.

Being cool means being able to say "fuck 'the man'"

China's history is to be "the man" at any cost.

The Chinese government will never allow homegrown "cool" for fear it undermines their authority or create culture by decree.