Invented claims of American discovery are exactly the kind of 'manufactured glory' that certain people like using to inflate their ancestors/predecessors deeds. (I leave out Gavin Menzies who seem to be pushing Yellow Peril-ism.) You didn't address Erdogan's BS about Muslims in pre-Columbian Cuba, but it is a nice analogue to Modi's head transplant. They are both laughably impossible to any thinking human being, but are uttered by state leaders in an official capacity, and you can bet they both truly believe it.

The Qing Dynasty lacked sufficient external threat perception until it was too late.

OT: hope you got through the typhoon OK.