Frankly, I'd rather "become some other country's bitch, eventually" than immediately go out and risk annihilating all mankind. I don't think that's the choice, but even if it were I think the moral choice is to not play the game. Or at least give the other side a chance to not participate in the arm's race. China didn't start this, Russia didn't start this, we did. They are the ones trying to catch up. We don't know whether they'd continue running if we were to try and stop.