You have been hearing predictions about what might happen to China in the future for 20 years, if the nation grows too quickly in the wrong ways and doesn't solve it's impending demographic problems.
The article is saying 'China peaked in 2021 and the past two years have been a zombie economy'. It's not talking about what might happen, but about what has already happened and why the state has been hyper-focusing on security and military competition with the west for the last couple of years.
You think a school being basically worthless when open because large numbers of teachers have become ill from infection spread, is some how a criticism of closing schools to prevent infection spread?
No amount of telescopes will provide the off-world low-g manufacturing capabilities necessary to build the logistics we need.
The moon is both low-g and has wonderful built-in radiation shielding (one of our biggest current blockers) via the simple process of going underground.
I don't think you or I are qualified to make absolute statements about the involvement of for-profit companies in that.
Earth is ultimately just another time-limited spaceship that will eventually loose the ability to support any kind of life due to the natural lifecycle of our sun. Over a long enough time span not expanding off-world is a death sentence for all life on this planet.
It's acceptable to do some small amount of damage to it as part of securing a future for our species (and all the other species we will carry with us) that is not dependant on a single, vulnerable and time-limited ball of rock.
Write an article. Share it here. Be more than just a shit-flinging monkey screaming from the sidelines.