> Don't we think competition is good? What happened to cheering on free markets? No? Not really? Obviously competitions is good when it drives innovation, whic

> Don't we think competition is good? What happened to cheering on free markets? No? Not really? Obviously competitions is good when it drives innovation, which is beneficial for domestic industry as a whole. Competition is not good for competition's sake. It's not good competition when Western players fall behind. This isn't some kind of hypocritical failing of free-market doctrines. You either don't understand what it intended to accomplish, or are deliberately misrepresenting it. I suspect the latter. > Why exactly do we want a Western duopoly to continue to exist in perpetuity? ... Why wouldn't we want our own players to dominate the industry? I don't think any kind of monopoly/duopoly is a good thing, but I don't really think that's your point. Your use of the word 'Western' betrays your intent here. > If Western countries believed their own rhetoric they'd be helping Russia and China to compete on the world stage – it would be a win for the entire globe. Um... no? China's exports becoming more competitive would not be a win for the entire globe, it would be quite the opposite. > The West does not have some God-given or divine-right to remain on top of the heap... Of course not, God didn't put us on top of the heap either. > China (and India) are going to eventually catch up, it's just a matter of time, the only thing up for debate in my mind is whether it's sooner rather than later, and I believe in China's case it's going to be upon us sooner than we expect. I wouldn't hold your breath.