But can the USA afford a Cold War right now, as in right now with all these shortages and natural disasters and civil wars going to come sooner or later. Then China has a legitimate excuse not to sell crucial goods to the USA to help them rebuild in the aftermath due to the USA being a near permanent security risk. Take about setting themselves up for deathAnd yet some people still doubt whether we are heading towards a second Cold War. The rift between the US (and its vassals) and China will continue to widen during this decade.