China isn't too shabby either.... I've been to one of their ghost cities and it was impressive. Had a USA type feel but bigger. Have no idea about the quality of construction but was impressed. This is not my image but I figured I'd find a similar photoshopped nice image of Shanghai on the interwebs.
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When it comes to China, Russia, and the USA (and NATO), there are significant differences in how society is handled.
USA - You invent, you keep, you get rich.
China - You invent, we keep, you get rich, just so long as you behave.
Russia - You invent, we keep, we get rich, you work for us and you better behave or else.
At its core, those are the fundamentals. You won't find a Jeff Bezo's, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Intell, Ratheon, Lockheed, Boeing, or any of the other dozens of technology giants in Russia or China.
This is why the smartest and most brilliant leave these countries and come to the USA.
As far as military technology goes, Russia doesn't come close.. The world runs on chips, and in this "day and age" the one with the best chips wins.
When it comes to making chips, certain technologies are beyond top secret. Chip makers like Intel, working with an army of physicists and other scientists, invest huge amounts of money to break current manufacturing limitations to make chips smaller, faster, more energy efficient, and to cram more transistors into the same space. These technologies result in faster computers that require less energy, less cooling, and occupy smaller spaces.
None of this means much for a desktop computer, but it means a lot when you build a missile, a submarine, or a satellite.
Chip technology is as guarded as nuclear technology is, and we do not allow Russia or China to have access to such technologies. Russia has no chance, but China is now using their new found wealth to try to catch up.. even so, it will be a couple decades before they can make up for lost time.. Not only do they have to reach our current levels, but by the time they do, we will have advanced beyond and they will still be behind.
This is what separates the USA from everyone else. You can't create a political environment were someone's lifelong hard work is habitually taken from individuals and then expect them to stick around and let you benefit. Nope, they tend to migrate to the USA where we develop these advances and then farm out the production to other friendly countries.
Russia is a corrupt authoritarian country... China isn't corrupt, but they are authoritarian.. The USA is really the only place where the super rich can speak up against their own government without fear of consequences, and that is what separates us from them.