> What gets me is when people present it like it's bad to play that game.
It's not bad. But the western superpowers, however flawed, are at least familiar. For the past 75 years we've avoided world war under this power balance. A new power balance could turn out better in that regard, but that doesn't mean it won't be scary, especially for those who value individual liberty.
What gets me is when people present it like it's bad to play that game. Like "it's ok when we do it".