[rocmcd]

> Fundamental question is will US be ever able to come to terms with a world in which US is not the dominant world power?

I think one missing key aspect is: will the US be ever able to come to terms with _an authoritarian_ power being the dominant world power?

There was a lot of optimism around China (much like there is today with Japan) in the 2000's and early 2010's, but their continued lean towards authoritarianism and regional aggression (Taiwan, South China Sea, Philippines, etc) has definitely soured that view.

[panarky]

When you can't beat an authoritarian power while remaining democratic and peacefully supporting other nations in your region, the obvious next step is to discard those constraints.