Do not think media these days has too much credibility left? One is they suppress the news that goes contrary to what is actually happening on the ground. Take the Ukraine war, if you are just accepting the news reports, you would think Ukraine is doing quite well and defeating the Russians. The opposite is happening of course, and we all have common sense. US Congress is corrupt and so, is most of the political class and not to be trusted on what they tell you. Complicit media covers up all the lies they peddle and support the narrative. It is all one big swamp.
Most news are biased. Some are manipulated. So it is important to read news from various sources. For Russia vs Ukraine war, get the news from Western reporters, and Russian social media. For Israel vs Hamas war, get the news from Western reporters, and Arab/Muslim social media.
If history is any guide, banning export of critical technology/product and isolationism will eventually fail. Why? Because no matter how hard you try there is always leakage. Furthermore by preventing them from copying, you force them to invent a better mouse trap. Those who have acquired the knowledge of basic science, which cannot be controlled will find a way, sometimes a better way instead of just be a copycat. Case in point: China's great advancement in space technology came a decade after the US banned the export of satellites to China forcing them to develop & build their own instead of buying from the US. Some control and protection of IP are necessary but as always, the best strategy to be ahead is to run faster than your opponent. You want to outwork, out innovate them instead. But, it is hard to outwork the East Asians or South Asians. Hard to outwork their 996 work ethics. Perhaps our saving grace is our free market/economy especially now that China is moving back into a dictatorial central control economy. Only time will tell.
It's best if the U.S. makes foreign policy decisions independent of U.S. defense industry lobbyist's rhetoric, which is also parroted by certain congressmen and senators. The defense industry is not a disinterested party.
not 996, working smarter, working more effectively, using resources more efficiently, that's all working... The bottom line is sustainability. It's no good when they are all working 12 hours OT and they die of suicide or heart attacks. Of course in China, it's not that big of a problem because it has 1.4 billion people and the government doesn't really give a shit about its people's well-being but here in the West, sustainability is very important.