https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor_pulling
Have you ever watched a tractor pull competition. A large tractor tries to pull a heavy weight the furthest. If that was all there was to it once the tractor started pulling it could go forever, but that is not all there is to it.
The weight is on some sort of mechanism that moves it forward, and the more forward it moves the more resistance the tractor must pull until it gets to a point the tractor can no longer move.
Becoming a “superpower” is sort of like tractor pulls. China looks big and power just sitting there doing nothing. But if they set out to become a world power (using their military) the weight of the pull requires more power until their tractor can not longer move or in some cases engines explode.
There are too many variables to predict the outcome of an aggressive China, but the one safe prediction is that it will not turn our the way China thinks it will.
“There are too many variables to predict the outcome of an aggressive China, but the one safe prediction is that it will not turn out the way China thinks it will.”
This did not stop Tojo or Hitler from acting.
Our enemies see our current internal madness, and know it is the best time to attack.