Rich,

Why was Russia "supposed" to win Ukraine in 4 days if the purpose was to drain NATO resources? Russia appears to be bogged down in Ukraine. Inquiring minds need to know.

Streamer,

If Russia is fighting with its own resources, why did it have to obtain missiles and drones from N. Korea and Iran? NATO is heavily funded by the U.S., but are you sure about "mostly?" i.e., more than 50%? And the NATO nations and military infrastructure are not "mostly" funded by the U.S. or funded at all by the U.S.

What any of this does to the central banking system is above my pay grade, so I have nothing to offer.

Regarding the economy, yes, it has gone to hell in a hand basket. Fiat currency, like the U.S. dollar, based on the "full faith and credit of the U.S." is cultural fiction. But, as has been mentioned in this sub-forum before, gold and silver as currency are also cultural fiction. Yes, gold and silver have some intrinsic value in their industrial applications, but it's mostly cultural fiction as well.

Do we need to be involved in Ukraine, the middle east, Somalia, and elsewhere around the globe? Yes and no. For a time I once favored isolationism, as in, why get involved in all these messes around the world that don't really concern us? There is some sense in that, but ultimately it's naive. Efficient transportation and communication has made nearly everything global in nature whether we like it or not. We could try to be isolationist, but we need resources from outside the nation to serve our modern lives. That requires interaction on the global stage. Stepping back from that stage only invites other aggressors to whittle away at us. The U.S. is not invulnerable.

An aside: "you know what the U.S. is number one at? It's in believing that we're really number one." That's sometimes said as a joke, but there is far too much truth in it.

Backing off the world stage will only hasten the U.S.'s departure to "former empire" status. Powerhouse status requires alliances. No nation is "too big to fail."

Did the Roman Empire fall due to the 7 steps? Or the British Empire?