China in perspective.
Elizabeth Economy wants to dial back the "China dominance" rhetoric:
The United States is in an economic mess, and it is tempting to see China behind every door. This is a mistake on two fronts. First, as Chinaâ??s economy and military grow, its policies will certainly matter to the United States more and more; but letâ??s take our time to understand precisely how and why before we raise alarm bells on every front. Second, and even more important, seeing China everywhere enables us to avoid looking in the mirror â?? which is where we really ought to be focused in order to fix our problems.
Unfortunately, I think Economy's going to be disappointed. There is a time-honored tendency in politics (and not just American politics) to locate the source of blame for a nation's ills beyond its borders. Why on Earth would a politician blame his or her constituents for something when a more convenient scapegoat lies within reach? China makes an attractive target (and often a legitimate one) for American complaints.
There is also a very strong belief in U.S. national security circles that America must maintain hegemony in Asia, a belief that puts the U.S. on a collision course with a rising China. The alarm bells that Economy fears are drowning out rational discussion are only going to get louder the more China does things like announce it's building an aircraft carrier.
