In China the state rules the corporations and in the US the corporations rule the state.

Neither is a system worth fighting for. Swiss style democracy maybe but not autocracy and not oligarchy.

>OTOH in Europe, US human rights policy was probably relevant in saving some dissenters in the former Eastern Bloc from torture or execution.

Yeah, a bit like how Russia saved Edward Snowden.

The US will use human rights as a club to beat its imperial rivals with but when it has deemed torture and arbitrary execution in the interests of its imperial power it has adopted them enthusiastically.

When US allies use these tools and worse they are excused.

There is basically nothing which US rivals do which the US wouldn't also do under similar circumstances.

The corps ruled the US until Trump. Now it’s moving to an oligarchical / kleptocratic mode like Russia. Sure the corps are still involved, but not on top. Will they remain after the current administration? I think it will be hard to put the genie back in the bottle.