@Pat
You think?

@mc

That's how it worked when the US won the cold war. The USSR collapsed and Russia and many soviet countries were on the verge of societal collapse. So the US poured a ton money into Russia and the other countries.

Unfortunately, all the money pouring into a society that was utterly corrupt just made things worse. That how Putin and his buddies got so rich.

The Chinese would have no choice. If the US collapsed into a state of complete lawlessness and the entire economic structure failed, then so would China.

And of course the Marshall Plan for Europe and rebuilding Japan and other Asian counties. After WWII, the same thing basically.

@Pat
"That's how it worked when the US won the cold war. The USSR collapsed and Russia and many soviet countries were on the verge of societal collapse. So the US poured a ton money into Russia and the other countries."
That's not Plan Marshall.
Transcription from Wikipedia, Marshall Plan:
"The reconstruction plan, developed at a meeting of the participating European states, was drafted on June 5, 1947. It offered the same aid to the Soviet Union and its allies, but they refused to accept it, under Soviet pressure (as was the case for Finland's rejection) as doing so would allow a degree of US control over the communist economies. The Soviet Union prevented its satellite states (i.e., East Germany, Poland, etc.) from accepting. Secretary Marshall became convinced Stalin had no interest in helping restore economic health in Western Europe."

@mc

I don't mean it specifically by country, I mean generally after a large-scale war (hot or cold), the one(s) who come out on top will provide economic assistance and expertise to the countries whose failure would be problematic to global stability and to the interests of the victors. Plus it helps the winning country to solidify their influence postbellum.

I meant it generally. So if China came out on top in WWIII, then they would be faced a bunch of countries in sick shape, perhaps on the verge of societal collapse, which would be bad for China. So they would need to help stabilize or prop up those countries, while at the same time firming up their influence.

@Pat
I seriously doubt any country would "come out on top in WWIII". Don't you?

@mc

>"I seriously doubt any country would "come out on top in WWIII". Don't you?"

Relatively, maybe one side could come out on top, if it doesn't go nuke. If we start lobbing nukes at each other, well then I guess the cock roaches come out on top.