IMO, our "fearful leaders" figure that by the time China is able to move, the world will have tied its hands securely with the greed only capitalism brings. They don't believe that there is ever a war between trading partners, but me thinks they forget that we traded with the Japanese, Italians and Germans before WW II.
Exactly...they figure that all that money is going to tame the commuists and tyrants, when what it will do is just allow them to consolidate their power, and ultimatly expand. I believe we are seeing an arms buildup greater in magnitude and much more dangerous than what our parents and grendparents witnessed in the 1930s before World War II.