Blood on Putin's Hands

Every time I have written about Russia since I wrote my farewell to Emerging Markets investing pieces has been more and more incredulous about what Putin is trying to do.

My first comment was that Democracy was going no where in Russia until the Rule of Law was followed and Oligarchy was discouraged, small business enterprise encouraged, and the political process opened up.  At that time, 6 short months ago, the only people harmed were Russian citizens.

Then Putin went on some geo-policital rampage so he could have the illusion of controlling the Ukraine again.  (the Ukraine should find a way to pay off their Gazprom bill so they can be free of that choking Russian leverage).

Now his thugs have shot down a civilian 777 with 298 innocent people on board:  grandparents, young adults, babies, business people of all ages.  All traveling to Kuala Lumbor or beyond for an exotic holiday.  They had no geo political interest at this time, other then perhaps personal safety when they got where they were going.

Putin can deny all he wants but there was a now deleted Facebook post on a thug's page claiming responsibility for shooting down a military plane at that point in time, there is Ukrainian Intelligence that intercepted a cell phone call from a thug to another thug stating they had shot down a plane with their big missile and there is the reality that only the thugs are trying to shoot down air planes with missiles.  The thugs don't have an air force so why would the Ukrainians shoot at anything in the sky?
And apparently, analysis of commercial airliner radar records can determine where the missile came from.

As for the black boxes, we will see if the thugs ever turn them over to responsible authorities.  I bet they do not and we will never know what those poor pilots final words were.  Not to mention the other innocent people on board.

As for Putin, you supply thugs with big military weapons, you have to realize unfortunate things are going to happen and you are responsible.  I doubt you have a conscience, but you should feel enormous guilt about this.  Perhaps, you will start to be responsible and cut off all support for these thugs.  Your geo-political game has no good outcome and has spun out-of-control.  And if you don't see it as out-of-control, you are no better than Stalin.