to choose between an autocratic rule level of government which is what china offers as the way to solve the problems in the world, versus democratic countries trying to do so, and he thinks, rightly in my mind, that democracies need to demonstrate to their own people as well as to others around the world, but first and foremost to their own people, that they can still take care and provide for them better than one could under an autocratic system. so it's about competing between two world visions, an autocratic vision and a democratic vision, in order to demonstrate who can do better. that doesn't mean the same as confrontation. confrontation is beating the other side rather than outcompeting them in what you are trying to do, and i think this is important. competition isn't confrontation, isn't conflict, and i think that's how joe biden was able to convince the allies this is something