Originally Posted by
Asturias56
Much as I love western democracy I don't put it above the human race
I do.
The rest are trying to catch up, or, as the Chinese are doing, implementing old style Imperial domination via all means: trade, information, diplomacy, force, bullying, blackmail, etc.
Right out of the playbook of the Western Imperial system, the Ottoman Imperial System, the Persian Imperial System, the Incan, and so on.
The Chinese, though, have about 4000 years of learning how to play the long game.
If you want to go back to that old system, go ahead.
Western Democracy is the last ideological hope for mankind
not to kill one another off. It created the UN and an attempt (however imperfect) at international order and equilibrium. The West has been grinding away at that since the Peace of Westphalia, each iteration a slight upgrade over the last. The Chinese are very much Old School.
You, a child of that Western system, are apparently oblivious to its value.
There's a short pier, take a long walk.