My thought exactly.

I began rapidly recalling the hundreds of sources foreseeing this well in advance, citing it, raising alarm, and being ignored.

I guess we are supposed to take numbers at face value, disregard what generated them and why, accept what they imply as presented, and never question it.

Then we must patiently withhold intelligence, wait for sanctioned admission, then finally consider what we already knew.

Suddenly, Rome collapsed.

Edit: Don't take the flagging to heart. If you dig, you will find a thousand exceptions made where the single-word comment fit the narrative and endured. This comment will be flagged too.