Balloons and UFOs aside, war with China is not inevitable

The balloon episode and the ensuing UFO drama have captured America's attention perhaps because it's such a caricature of the new Cold War we're barreling toward. The image of a fighter jet shooting down a giant balloon over the East Coast, the first kill of the F-22: It would be comical if it hadn't been quickly used in hawkish posturing around China that, in turn, further strained the relationship with a nuclear power. Republicans tapped into the fears surrounding China's rising power to attack President Joe Biden. Secretary of State Tony Blinken canceled a previously planned trip to Beijing. China,…