The american tech industry in general and YC specifically used to be softly, subtly technofascist. The last 18 months it has been shifting more towards overtly so. This is another notch on that ratchet, rather than a totally new thing.
Military strength is a Red Queen’s race; you need to run just to stand still.
Entirely by accident - the US wasn't fighting fascists for some ideals of democracy and freedom, or to liberate conquered peoples, or to save Jews being slaughtered; but because the fascists were invading and declaring war left and right, including against the US. Without Japan attacking, and Germany joining, the US would have probably sat the war out (of course still contributing a lot of armaments and loans to the UK, but that was probably as far as the public and Congress would have allowed things to go).
> the world’s most diverse nation
The US doesn't even make the top 50 other than in religion, which doesn't count IMO (because US subreligious groups are incredibly close to one another):
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-dive...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ethnic_an...