Are we stumbling into a new Cold War between the US and PRC?

[dead0man]

Citizens of states rarely want conflict, but we're almost always easily tricked into it.  Sometimes we see through the ruse and demand an end (the US in Vietnam), other times it's over before we find out (everybody in WWI).

If the bigger power doesn't want the conflict (cold or otherwise) there is a way out, but it's hard to get the country to go along with it (if you have to do that, future and past "bigger powers" won't necessarily care what their people think about it), it might not work, it might backfire, it might not be needed and it will certainly make our allies give us the stink eye.  That way is to attack, HARD, the first sign the lesser power hints at standing up to the big dog.  We've moved WAY past that point with the PRC.  We can still do it, and it might still work, but the negatives possibilities become more likely every passing month.



that said, there has to be SOME parity in a Cold War, right?  The PRC is not very close on that front.  Sure, everybody lied about the Soviets capabilities for most the real Cold War (it was convenient for everybody to lie to each other about it), but they were still closer to parity than the PRC is.