It just took longer to show, because COVID. The first missed pay period for the troops should be fun. That is what has the very real potential of bringing Putin down…a serf army marching back to Moscow…1917 comes to mind.

Anecdotally we are seeing some troops already leaving posts, getting into civvies, and melting away. Not enough beyond anecdote.

As to the press, part of the problem is that many reporters have a fine journalism degree, which is ok. But there is no grounding in social sciences, so they do not see the data in any way that can be explained. I think there is some willful ignorance as well.

At the risk of saying too much, there are also editorial decisions.