BILLY BOB—So, what can the US do to contain China? Is it possible for the US to contain China without causing great harm to the global economy and plunging humanity into a period of tremendous depression and upheaval? Of course not. China is the single biggest manufacturing superpower on the planet. They are the number one trading partner for over 120 countries. If China is to be contained, the global economy must suffer.
So “sooner rather than later” and “the global economy will necessarily suffer if China is to be contained” are the two assumptions which provide the foundation for the rest of my analysis.