> We don't need war to grow stronger.

Indeed. But you have to project power to enforce a rule-based order, free trade and all that. This made America wealthy while its allies financed (practically forced to) huge chunks of the military industrial complex.

With America isolated, the world becomes a 'might makes right' order. State level maffia. In that model, it is eating the other or getting eaten, zero sum. Now the extremist ideologists believe that in that order America will shine and will dominate everything in its sphere of influence, as will China do. That's why you keep hearing the claims on Greenland, Canada and South American countries. These aren't jokes, but when people cannot fit information in their frame of reference, they will put that information aside. A very human trait, but also a tragic weakness.

The conservative ideologues' thinking is that the USA will have local clashes with China over who will claim Africa's and Europe's resources. So no, it won't have to be a full out war, but lots of local wars around the world. If you want to have an idea where might makes right leads to, look at Russia which has been perpetually involved in colonial wars and wars of conquest.

america attracts the best talent, but that's also dependent in partners training experts and sending them to the US to make the largest best impact

china is already attracting its best talent back home, and nothing forces even american talent to stay in the US, when americans hate the smart and talented