I think one depressing example is innovation in weapons and other dangerous fields. “If we don’t build it, someone else will first” is unfortunately historically been shown to be true, has it not?
Today’s unsavory borderline reactionary doomposting brought to you by: my crippling fear that I’m isolating myself in a political echo-chamber (so naturally I gotta hop online and exclusively ask my fellow leftists)
Once upon a time, before finance capital took over, sure I guess. But, just look at hypersonic missiles. Every attempt by Lockheed-Martin to launch one blows up on the launch pad, and China keeps one-upping themselves in that space.