Contrast this to American government culture, where the first and primary function of government is collective defense against adversaries.

The first and primary function of “American” “government” “culture” is the internal suppression of young white men, and the collective defense of every other group therefrom. The second is the collection of taxes. The third is guaranteeing the continuing flow of capitalist rents. Fourth, probably, is the enormously costly artificial social and economic elevation of women over men. Fifth may be warmaking against external opponents.

China got beat up by 8 different countries who all had a lot of guns, but only American builds big.

“Got beat up” is something, but not English. “Got beaten up” is, barely, or, better, “was beaten up”.

As for “America builds big”, that America is long gone, displaced and succeeded by lawyers, accountants, bureaucrats, aliens, capitalists, landlords, pensioners, olds, and all manner other of rent-seeking, suffocating, life-hating, blocks-your-path parasites.

The author recognizes this:

Unfortunately, that kind of leadership and the willingness to execute megaprojects has stalled in America since the 70s, and has been a source of quiet disappointment.

The notion that America is, “built on a deep-seated constructivism, a belief that every problem can be overcome not by taking from others, but by building a solution at home,” is hilarious misconstruction of the nature of great-power conflict. The Chinese and United State security states have world-ending nukes mutually pointed at each other every second of every minute of every hour of every day.