[eternalban]

Let's try that:

"China does not tolerate any competing power structures. The chances of US to fall in line with 300 million people is not that high. This trade war is never going to end until US is reduced to such a level that it can no longer fight and gives up and joins the world order as a subordinate state."

That doesn't seem to make much sense.

The current "world order" is the American authored post World War II international regime. UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO, and the Petro-Dollar are all made in USA. China was expected to join this order without ruffling American leadership feathers.

My impression has long been that the Western strategists that decided to raise China from its dysfunctional state and jump start it as an industrial and economic power were gambling that the ruling Communist Party of China would lose its grip on the Chinese once the Chinese masses got a taste of Western quality of life and exposed to Western culture. They also likely hoped that Chinese ruling elite and their children would be willing to trade their political hegemonic grip on the Chinese nation with a seat at the international 1%'s table.

That didn't work out, so now we have an administration that (at least superficially as communicated to us plebes via "twitter") is bent on dismantling the very same global structures that are the foundation of "Pax Americana" cum "American Empire".

[remarkEon]

>They also likely hoped that Chinese ruling elite and their children would be willing to trade their political hegemonic grip on the Chinese nation with a seat at the international 1%'s table.

And how very naive they were! Instead what we got is a Chinese Elite with a seat at the international 1%'s table, using that power to continue ruling China as they see fit. Who could've seen that coming?

>That didn't work out, so now we have an administration that (at least superficially as communicated to us plebes via "twitter") is bent on dismantling the very same global structures that are the foundation of "Pax Americana" cum "American Empire".

If we have an "Empire", then why don't we get paid like one? The Imperial comparison has some logical foundations in there, but if we really did run a global "Empire" then I'd expect everyone to shell out some cash every once in a while for things like keeping major shipping lanes generally open and safe. Perhaps we have an Empire and don't know it, or don't have the guts to act like one.

[eternalban]

> If we have an "Empire", then why don't we get paid like one?

I sympathize with the frustration you express and the cognitive disconnect you are experiencing. I live in New York City, "the Empire State", where if the subway lines work it is a good day. It is decidedly 3rd world.

This term "empire" was first tacked on US by the British. I don't recall the name of the wanker in question but there was an English chap ("historian") who did the corporate media circus rounds a bit after 9/11 urging us to look to the British Empire as an example on "how to run an empire". Someone with access to LexisNexis can likely dig up the provenance of that appellation.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/15/the-us-hidden-e...

My own pet theory, based on highly consistent historical precedents, is that the empire of the day is recognizable by their architecture. Now if some aliens were to scope out various cities on this planet, most certainly NY and the rest of US look like yesterday's news. But then look at London, Paris, and major cities in China.

It is a Banker's Empire. [We're the muscle.]

[remarkEon]

Yep, can’t find a way to disagree. The last time I was in London I got this weird feeling, walking around and looking at beautiful old buildings with “modern” additions seemingly growing out of them like a cancer.

“Banker’s Empire” is apt. I just wish the muscle got paid more for it.