Agree. Governments are protection rackets and thrive upon fear. Of course there is some basis for that fear- humans naturally form into groups and fight to access to resources. Religions and ideologies form the umbrellas under which groups unite and then justify their positions.

The 'west' has dominated global resources by having superior organised governments that enabled science and innovation and ultimately greater ability to project power.

The wealth of nations derives to a large extent from the quality of government. The cynicism and negativity toward government that is popular today in the west ignores the reality that the wealth and privilege of the west is built upon our superior ability to project power.

Today China is challenging that dominance and the divided nature of the west makes it more likely China will succeed. China is only responding to the west logically as the west has consistently imposed its dominance upon all others meaning you either become subservient as nearly all other cultures have, or challenge the west as China is. The west may now have to face a reality where it must change strategy or lose the resource hegemony dominance it has enjoyed for centuries.