@lifeofmind-10:23: ”The Chinese are heavily invested in Iranian gas fields and may support a grand bargain with the Russians to divide the region up against the Americans” –India, English-speaking India, huge counterweight, adding all of subcontinent, Indian Ocean, and Pacific onto balance. Even more so if Russ Navy goes to Davy Jones Locker defending Persians.

@Teresita-10:28: ”Russian people are going to realize their standard of living is declining again, and there’s a bunch of Putin crony billionaires running around moving their oil wealth to foreign banks” –precisely the situation that made Hitler jump off two years before his generals were ready. The books. He was ‘spent’ and needed to re-frame Europe mach schnell.