Part 10/16:
The U.S.-China dynamic is of particular focus. China’s resource exploitation, internal repression, and state capitalism are contrasted unfavorably with American resilience rooted in vast natural resources, technological talent, and a global financial system centered around the U.S. dollar. Despite mutual dependence, rising tensions threaten to evolve into outright Cold War or even hot conflict, especially if supply chains falter or resource competition intensifies.