And it took two World Wars, several economic crises, and other problems to bring them down, not raw stupidity.

Bad omens like them building the biggest fleet this world has ever seen?
I am thankfully not a naval specialist, but I've always felt that you build a fleet with the intention to use it. It can be for defense or offense, as with all war-related equipment.
Except they don't need it for defense...

It's certainly a possibility, but I don't think Xi is ready for that...yet. Of course, October 2028 is still far away. A lot can happens in three years.

Social expenses from 38 to 25%. Yikes.
In any non-dictatorial country (and even several who are), the government would be a tad bit...unpopular.
And I must note social spending in Russia was extremely low compared to many European countries...

I'm looking forward to the part where Ukraine says "no" to surrendering and it turns out Trump doesn't have any cards. Because refusing to sell weapons to your allies at profit just to punish Ukraine for not surrendering isn't a card.

Trump's 'guarantees' are not worth anything, and everyone knows it. At this point, I trust toilet paper to be more valuable than anything the Trump administration promises.
Why trust anything in this pile of garbage?

The December plunge for this year promises to be...bad.

Yes, maybe if the US was supplying some help like it did before 2025, maybe the voices from Washington would be listened to.
But there's no help provided anymore, and the US weapons supplied are all purchased by European nations.
Kyiv isn't going to roll over and surrender for people who ates them.

Evidently, a terrible cigarette accident.

That's what Witkoff said in February and August and a fat load of good it did anyone then either

Well.
The war is really, really beginning to bite in an extremely nasty way.
The situation was hardly pleasant by European standards, but it sounds like they're going to have to cut pensions and social security, which is always...err...not exactly popular, I would humbly suggest.