I get that collapse is a slow ongoing process but when the history books are written, what do you think will be considered the US' own Battle of Ravenna? What will occur that historians can point to it and say, "this was the effective end of the American empire." ?
End of the petrodollar. Belt and Road Initiative. I think it'll be an economic realignment, because even if an aircraft carrier gets sunk, there are 10 more of those behemoths.
Something along these lines, imo.