I think it's pretty clear that the U.S. and China are in an AI arms race - and I didn't see where the essay said anything like "boogey man". I think it merely cites China as the competitor. No?

But I agree entirely - the U.S. does not have the moral high ground it once did. Which is a tragedy. I think by and large it was a good thing that the U.S. beat the Germans to nukes. Today, I am not sure who I should be rooting for.