In history, great powers compete, but there has always been a modicum of respect for their power. You would be an idiot to not respect the power, especially of the largest nuclear armed nation on the planet. And maybe that’s the point. While we have “smart” people in key positions in the USG, as I’ve learned in my own lifetime of experiences, smart people do stupid things all the time…and boy have we done some really dumb things since the end of the Cold War when it comes to Russia.