re: #210 lawhawk

So, Russia is “flexing” its muscles by running jaunts into the Atlantic and long distance flights that might result in the US intercepting those flights.

Gee, who would have thunk that Putin’s trying to distract his people from the crappy economy and fact that sagging oil prices are having a bad outcome on his oligopoly. He’s playing a real dangerous game, particularly by sending off aircraft over Europe without their transponders on. That might result in unintended consequences - namely mid-air collisions that no one wants.

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if he’s not purposefully trying to provoke an international confrontation in the hopes that it will artificially drive up the cost of oil and thus save him from his own machinations.