@1889
I'm sure you don't think we just plan on running in there guns blazing and hoping things work out. Part of the argument is that they may very well be planning a war against us soon, for the same reasons we are wary of them.
Waiting may change odds perhaps, but who says it will be in our favor? And if we keep pace with them, we'll only be caught in a bigger mess than before when technology, culture and population are greater
I haven't seen any assumptions that we can't make allies either. One thing I can say from experience is that a strong alliance with your next door neighbor doesn't usually work out. The risks range from betrayal to the inevitable end result of being a vassal state (mind you, all of this is theoreticcal, I'm not saying it's likely that we'd become their vassals for example)
On the other hand, if I have my facts wrong or am misinterpereting the situation, please let me know. As you should know, I just joined the team, so all of what I'm gathering is coming from reading the presidential and foreign ministry threads of this term, I have no way of guarenteeing the validity of my arguments