Public opinion in the US concerns every detail of the Obama administration's China policy, including its "tough" stance that has seemingly become political mainstream.
In fact, a deliberately "tough" US is unnecessary since China has never doubted the country's power. Instead, it is Americans and Europeans that seem to believe more in the decline of the US.
The national strength of the US will remain first and foremost for a long time. However, this has led to over-confidence since the Cold War. Some in the US have forgotten that no empire lasts forever, and believe that superior firepower, a strong economy and unmatched soft power will lead to perpetual dominance status. US never express the intention to "rule the world," but its desire to be the world leader is obvious. US public opinion cannot bear any small country going against Washington's will. The stronger it becomes, the more obscure the line between "leading the world" and "ruling the world" becomes.
A worry that the US will lose its global position has resulted from the country's current crisis. The Obama administration enhances strategic deployment in the Asian-Pacific region to safeguard this global presence. This will burden and drag down the US. The country is not really becoming weak, but its strategic demand surpasses its real capacity. In the Cold War era, the strength of the US could easily protect the Western world. However, as its economy is declining, it is not realistic for the US to regulate the world order along as before.
The US attempts to mobilize global political and economic resources to refuel its capacity but this has worsened the country's financial straits. The US has tried to subdue the world by its military and economic power and system in the past, but nowadays, it is pursuing private interests. Due to a worsened economy, the US is returning to a mixture of military and political power. However, such shortcuts do not guarantee success as seen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The US intends to solve economic problems by exerting political pressure on China. Congressmen and politicians take the task of CEOs, blindly interfering politically in the marketplace.
Such a mission is hollow, and ultimately doomed to failure. Maybe the US should learn to accept the reality of a multi-polar world and change its mentality. As long as it lowers its defensive posture, it will remain a key player in the world. The difficulties the US faces today are controllable and will not lead to its decline.
It is understandable that the US feels insecure in front of a rising China, but if this insecurity becomes extreme, it will clash with this unrealistic ambition of dominating the world. The world does not belong to the US as some of its leaders might think. Neither China, nor any other country, are to blame for that.