It's not China or Russia or whatever that can take the US down (due to its control of the global financial system and what money can buy).

No other Empire in history has had the global financial (and hence military) chokehold like the US Empire does.

So the only ways (IMHO) that the US Empire can be brought down are:

(1) Destroy the global financial system and US Dollar hegemony

(2) Revolt from within (on multiple levels - Civil wars, revolutions, etc.)

(3) Deadly epidemics

(4) Nuclear annihilation

No alternatives/options are pleasant or desirable, BUT...all Empires collapse - it is a matter of time...

>>"But their being fed up doesn't have anything to do with the empire."

As stated before, the Empire being brought down by external forces seems very unlikely - there is no comparison of the present US Empire to past Empires in history. It would be wishful thinking to go down that route...

At the end of the day - as Caitlin and others have said multiple times - the people (99%) outnumber the power elite (1%). The question is - "what will make them suspend their internal differences/arguments/ideologies" long enough to bring them together as a FORCE against the EMPIRE? (I'm sounding like I'm talking about the Star Wars universe here...)