The one thing that sticks out here the most is how little interest regular people from competing powers have in hostility toward other nations' people. And it makes perfect sense. I detest Putin, I distrust the CPC, etc. but recognize that effectively all Russians and Chinese people are just like me, share most of the same values, and want the exact same things.

> .... effectively all (insert nationality here) people are just like me, share most of the same values, and want the exact same things.

In broad strokes that tends to be true, but the details can surprise you. If you've ever worked in a cross-cultural situation with colleagues from other countries and cultures, you'd be shocked at what kind of cultural differences can sneak up on you and catch you by surprise. Differing attitudes towards how much respect to show to one's boss, or the way you should interact with a coworker when you meet them in the hallway, or whether you're culturally required to attend the wedding of your coworker's sister, or send an expensive present, or send a cheap "it's the thought that counts" present, or just send a card.

For example, I once read a blog by an American working in the Japanese auto industry. He talked about attending a meeting where the boss proposed an idea. There was a short pause, then his Japanese coworkers started speaking up: "Good idea, boss." "Yeah, good plan." "Good idea." The American left the meeting thinking that everyone was on board with the idea, and that they were going to do it. His Japanese colleague corrected him (in private), explaining "Didn't you notice the pause?" Sure enough, nobody implemented the idea (because they all knew that the boss had understood the message), it was never brought up again in the meeting (because the boss had, indeed, understood the message), and everyone got to save face, because nobody had had to contradict the boss.

People from other cultures generally want the same things you do. (With some exceptions that can be important). But how they go about it can vary wildly, and it's important if you're going to be working cross-culturally to get someone who understands the other culture to sit down with you and explain the important cultural-conflict points you're likely to run into.

I grew up in a diplomatic family (parents were US Foreign Service). At the smaller posts, the camaraderie between the different diplomatic families was genuinely much warmer than the cold-war era relations would have you believe. I have good memories of the time.