They may have had the potential to be a superpower, but it’s apparent that they never had the leadership to conduct as one. Those inside the Kremlin bought into their own bullshit and thought of themselves as a superpower, not realising the machine within is operating on unlubricated, old, broken, and missing parts.

This seems to be a common theme with countries that feed a superiority narrative to their people and other nations.

This seems to be a common theme with countries that feed a superiority narrative to their people and other nations.

begins sweating profusely

Oh, we have the military superpower. We’re constantly putting it on display. We’re basically a giant weapons and war factory. When we go down, it won’t come from the outside (except in the form of cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns).

Though I could see it in a few decades. Russia was a powerful body full of rot. We’re a powerful body with an infection. If the authoritarians win, they’ll replace competent people in key positions with unqualified party-loyal yes men, and that will start the rot.