Yes. Ever since we deurbanized (suburbanized) and kneecapped our fledgling administrative state we've been incompetent.
> Our public projects are delayed and 2-3x over the estimate, the US military has been inept in most conflicts, federal agencies have failed to regulate the powerful and connected.
Yup.
> We haven’t had a balanced budget
Please don't drag that into it. The way we run our fiat currency means there is nearly net 0 dollar. Every surplus is someone else's deficit.
> But the machine marches on, because everywhere else the problems are equal or worse at US scale.
Nope
> China hides its domestic issues much better giving this illusion that the US is crumbling.
China certianly has issues, but also has somewhat better state capacity than us. Yes people fear-think China has the best state capacity and that is not true.
> The hints we get when Jack Ma disappears from public life or the party now speaks of income inequality should tell you under the surface there’s turmoil.
Dissapearing Jack Ma is not an indicator of failure, even if you personally don't like it. Income inequality is objectively more worrisome, as it prevents domestic demand, but things including the former (hah!) can be employed to manage the latter.