Makes us short sighted.. That's for sure. It's the effect of soft power.. We take this all for granted today. It seems like the natural state of things. A bunch of folks won't wake up till they pre-empt our President for a Chinese "Presidential" address.. Or some sports news. THEN, and only then, they will FREAK OUT.. Because that's why they'll realize that something changed.. We're not the center of the universe anymore.