I would say that it’s corruption.

Yes, there are more corrupt countries overall, e.g., Russia and the other 53 dictatorships around the world.  But none is our size, and few are pretending to be democracies.

What Makes America Exceptional?

Here’s a reminder that renewable energy resources are not distributed equally around the globe.

Decarbonizing the energy and transportation sectors in a place like Iceland, which has geothermal energy in amazing abundance, is like falling off a log.

In other places it requires political will, which is sadly lacking in the United States. Here, the petroleum industry is fighting with endless propaganda to convince scientifically illiterate Americans that we need to “drill, baby, drill” while it makes huge contributions to corrupt politicians in return for favorable legislation.

Making Renewable Energy Happen

Obviously, it’s impossible to predict the future based on the past, and China is brandishing weapons.  Moreover, it’s been trying to take over the world for the last 6000 years.

That said, the culture of China is built around patience, and the country appears to be conducting this crusade with commerce, rather than bombs.

Where the U.S. invests in blowing things (and people) to bits, China puts its resources on dominating global trade.

China Has Been Peaceful