El
@watchingotters.bsky.social
Reader, (board)gamer, dad. Trying to get back into writing at https://substack.com/@pacificreview.
Ya this looks like all the stuff Rutgers has built since 2015
December 19, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Ya this looks like all the stuff Rutgers has built since 2015
Please do i’d be happy to read it!
December 19, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Please do i’d be happy to read it!
Can the “atlantic order” as you believe it exists survive without the US?
December 19, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Can the “atlantic order” as you believe it exists survive without the US?
And thats…not been borne out at all in the medium term! Sure, right after covid things looked glum. I dont think that any sober analysis right now can make the assumption that the US beats China in a long term race right now based on how things have played out in the medium term
December 19, 2025 at 12:18 AM
And thats…not been borne out at all in the medium term! Sure, right after covid things looked glum. I dont think that any sober analysis right now can make the assumption that the US beats China in a long term race right now based on how things have played out in the medium term
Well this may be a root of our disagreement, i dont think china is playing for “world supremacy.” And i actually agree that the US system is better, but you dont make that claim in your article! In the thread you specifically say you dont make that claim. You just say “china bad, ergo no hegemon.”
December 19, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Well this may be a root of our disagreement, i dont think china is playing for “world supremacy.” And i actually agree that the US system is better, but you dont make that claim in your article! In the thread you specifically say you dont make that claim. You just say “china bad, ergo no hegemon.”
I fee like im really starting to spin my wheels here. Like, the US has routinely disregarded human rights and democratic values in the systems it created. I don’t understand how one can look at US history and say “moral actor.” Im not a anti-US person at all but im also not over here saying “moral”
December 19, 2025 at 12:05 AM
I fee like im really starting to spin my wheels here. Like, the US has routinely disregarded human rights and democratic values in the systems it created. I don’t understand how one can look at US history and say “moral actor.” Im not a anti-US person at all but im also not over here saying “moral”
Second, many countries that the US is allied with are rather clearly questioning the dependency of that alliance - see anything about europe needing to rearm.
December 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Second, many countries that the US is allied with are rather clearly questioning the dependency of that alliance - see anything about europe needing to rearm.
So two things: you’re focusing heavily on “liberal” but yourself admitted earlier that you dont make the argument that liberal results in better outcomes. This is confusing to me
December 18, 2025 at 11:58 PM
So two things: you’re focusing heavily on “liberal” but yourself admitted earlier that you dont make the argument that liberal results in better outcomes. This is confusing to me
Also “especially the chinese” is something that is quickly changing!
December 18, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Also “especially the chinese” is something that is quickly changing!
“The ideal destination for” and “being morally trustworthy” are two wildly different things! My Egyptian relatives migrated to the US and fully blame the US for making many middle eastern countries so difficult to live in that migrating was the better choice.
December 18, 2025 at 11:54 PM
“The ideal destination for” and “being morally trustworthy” are two wildly different things! My Egyptian relatives migrated to the US and fully blame the US for making many middle eastern countries so difficult to live in that migrating was the better choice.
Is your claim then that the outreach by China does not appeal to the everyday person and cannot for it is definitionally illiberal?
December 18, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Is your claim then that the outreach by China does not appeal to the everyday person and cannot for it is definitionally illiberal?
I never said they built it solely to their advantage! But it is undeniable that we built the system to preference us. China is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the US built system, but to say we didnt build the system to entrench our power is naive
December 18, 2025 at 11:51 PM
I never said they built it solely to their advantage! But it is undeniable that we built the system to preference us. China is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the US built system, but to say we didnt build the system to entrench our power is naive
Also, again, your viewpoint is years out of date. Does the US still have the admiration of the world after Gaza? Did our open system help us with that?
December 18, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Also, again, your viewpoint is years out of date. Does the US still have the admiration of the world after Gaza? Did our open system help us with that?
This is a really one-dimensional understanding of China’s government.
December 18, 2025 at 11:32 PM
This is a really one-dimensional understanding of China’s government.
Global Economic Order by Chin and Gallagher. China fully engages in these systems while also building its own. And its not just “backroom deals with leadership.” China has huge people-to-people exchanges, economic cross-linkages, educational links across the globe.
December 18, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Global Economic Order by Chin and Gallagher. China fully engages in these systems while also building its own. And its not just “backroom deals with leadership.” China has huge people-to-people exchanges, economic cross-linkages, educational links across the globe.
Oh this is very wrong. I’m well familiar with Ikenberry’s work. I mention the institution building in mr reply! Bretton woods is institution building, and its an institution we built to our advantage. China also institution builds - see China and the…
December 18, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Oh this is very wrong. I’m well familiar with Ikenberry’s work. I mention the institution building in mr reply! Bretton woods is institution building, and its an institution we built to our advantage. China also institution builds - see China and the…
…were better off paying for universal healthcare than for paying for militaries. The soft power came after all that. One of the literal first things we did as truly uncontested hegemon was invade iraq! Not a really “morally trustworthy” action!
December 18, 2025 at 10:58 PM
…were better off paying for universal healthcare than for paying for militaries. The soft power came after all that. One of the literal first things we did as truly uncontested hegemon was invade iraq! Not a really “morally trustworthy” action!
Oh i dont think this is true at all. The US didn’t become hegemon because we were morally trustworthy. We became hegemon because we had the biggest stick, rigged the global economy to flow through us (which we were able to do because we had the the biggest stick), and convinced the euros they…
December 18, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Oh i dont think this is true at all. The US didn’t become hegemon because we were morally trustworthy. We became hegemon because we had the biggest stick, rigged the global economy to flow through us (which we were able to do because we had the the biggest stick), and convinced the euros they…
We’re not seeing non-US-aligned countries turn away from china, china is clearly still technologically innovative, the economy is certainly wobbly but its been wobbly for a decade now. Like i agree the system was draconian but i dont see it as a disadvantage to that system itself?
December 18, 2025 at 10:23 PM
We’re not seeing non-US-aligned countries turn away from china, china is clearly still technologically innovative, the economy is certainly wobbly but its been wobbly for a decade now. Like i agree the system was draconian but i dont see it as a disadvantage to that system itself?
Sure. But i’m not seeing how this gets to the overall thrust of your article (at least as i read it) that this moral ogre-ness is a hindrance to the overall “system” as it competes with a more “open” system. Like, we’re in the immediate term away from covid now and…
December 18, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Sure. But i’m not seeing how this gets to the overall thrust of your article (at least as i read it) that this moral ogre-ness is a hindrance to the overall “system” as it competes with a more “open” system. Like, we’re in the immediate term away from covid now and…
Every other government made - lockdown. The ones that didnt make this choice - the nordic countries - did see absurd levels of mass death. I dont think we can fault the chinese government for choosing lockdown.
December 18, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Every other government made - lockdown. The ones that didnt make this choice - the nordic countries - did see absurd levels of mass death. I dont think we can fault the chinese government for choosing lockdown.
So im also getting hung up on this framing as a “self imposed injury.” Like this was a conscious choice from the government, trade off the economic growth to prevent mass death. Ya at a certain time they could have chosen a medium option, but in the beginning they made the same choice that…
December 18, 2025 at 10:02 PM
So im also getting hung up on this framing as a “self imposed injury.” Like this was a conscious choice from the government, trade off the economic growth to prevent mass death. Ya at a certain time they could have chosen a medium option, but in the beginning they made the same choice that…
Ah i think this was me responding to a quote you included in there. Something like china missing its window or something
December 18, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Ah i think this was me responding to a quote you included in there. Something like china missing its window or something
As a proud Yank, we are freedom, 4th of july, 1776, bald motherfucking EAGLES usa usa USA and i am NOT happy about what is happening!
December 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
As a proud Yank, we are freedom, 4th of july, 1776, bald motherfucking EAGLES usa usa USA and i am NOT happy about what is happening!
Again, this is just me responding to your article’s framing paragraphs at the top
December 18, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Again, this is just me responding to your article’s framing paragraphs at the top