July 18, 2014

Vladimir Putin’s Games Finally Blew Up In His Face Today

<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vladimir_Putin-6.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Vladimir_Putin-6.jpg">Kremlin.ru</a>/Wikimedia

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Josh Marshall practically reads my mind with this post:

Were it not for the hundreds killed, it would also be comical the ridiculous series of events Vladimir Putin’s reckless behavior led up to this morning. For months Putin has been playing with fire, making trouble and having it work mainly to his advantage….But the whole thing blew up in his face today in a way, and with repercussions I don’t think — even with all wall to wall coverage — we can quite grasp.

Find extremists and hot-heads of the lowest common denominator variety, seed them with weaponry only a few militaries in the world possess — and, well, just see what happens. What could go wrong?

Read the whole thing. It’s almost precisely what I’ve been thinking all day long. I’d only add one thing: It was sickening listening to Putin’s bleating prevarications and denials after the plane was shot down. Really, truly revolting. If anything could expose him, once and for all, as the petty schoolyard bully that he is, this was it.

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WE'LL BE BLUNT

It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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