To the CLs, American tech supremacy is the natural outcome of a state that minimizes taxes and regulations on business. To the tech oligarchs, it is validation of their right to rule the country; they delivered the goods and should be rewarded for it with power and deference. They earned their right to be the masters of the universe.
With that as background, how should we react to DeepSeek? With a mixture of fear and satisfaction. The Chinese have proved that the low tax, low regulation, tech-friendly state doesn’t have to win the race.