The Age of Unlearning: How Democracies Lost Their Grip on Strategic Time

American strategic planning has weakened through bureaucratic cuts and political incentives that favor immediacy over long-term statecraft, exemplified by the temporary elimination of the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment. This erosion of long-term thinking is an existential liability for Western democracies as they compete with rivals. In contrast, China employs a long-game method, using institutional patience and integrated five-year plans to sustain national priorities in military modernization, industrial policy, and technology. This approach has yielded measurable results, such as advancements in semiconductor manufacturing, dominance in the electric vehicle market, and a methodical military buildup, giving Beijing a strategic advantage.