For the most part no argument with your comments. The future of our current carrier fleet though is indeed in doubt, as you said remains to be seen. Even now our navy is reluctant to take our carriers through the Taiwan Strait or into the South China Sea due to their vulnerability.
I first noticed that a good many years ago.
Don't know when was the last time we sent a carrier through that straight, but am guessing it was several decades, not just years ago.
Floating aircraft carriers have always been vulnerable to land-based bombers, even in WWII, and steered clear whenever possible.
Nothing new about that.