In many ways, I admire the authority the Chinese Government wields. To build a new nuclear power plant anywhere in "the free world" is effectively impossible. Even adding a new reactor to an existing site takes decades, is likely to fail, and will most likely bankrupt the company attempting to do it. I envy having leadership that actively wants more nuclear energy and has the power to deliver.

Migration is always an option. You can experience authoritarian leadership if you try going to Xinjiang, for instance.

I'm not saying their way of government is superior in all aspects. I feel disheartened because it feels like the US has lost the ability to actually execute its goals successfully.

600,000+ American covid-19 casualties called, they'd like their lives back so they can emigrate to largely covid-free China

In a way, it does reveal the America to be a "profoundly silly country", as Bill Maher put it. On the other hand, there are some encouraging efforts. Bill Gates is pledging $1 Billion towards nuclear power. And the company Rolls Royce has a modular reactor in development. Also, the reforms in the Trump DOE setting up a nuclear program are not being reversed by the Biden administration.

America seems to have always risen or fallen to the level of its competition.