My mental model of trust is to not buy a car from a salesperson you like.

Normally, if you are feeling nice and secure, it is because someone has manipulated you to a place of vulnerability so they can take advantage of you.

This story wants me to feel like the US government is prudent, competent and observant. So, naturally, I am scared shitless.

I am not OP, but I must express my belief that the world was a more harmonious and simpler place for the average person when the United States was not a dominant global power. The fear of communism, in fact, was probably one of the driving forces behind the creation of a thriving middle class in the US.

It is probably not a coincidence that since the fall of the Soviet Union, income and wealth disparities have only continued to escalate in the United States, painting a stark picture of the consequences of unchecked hegemonic power.

I mean of course china keeps tabs on the US. It's good to keep tabs on your investments.