We’ve got a summer reading suggestion list thread going in The Hive (sub req) and I thought I’d add my suggestions. As I sometimes admit, I never read any books about politics or almost anything contemporary. I only read history. So here are a dozen history titles I’ve read in recent years that I found engrossing and wonderful.
I number of commentators have pointed to the as yet relatively sedate statements from European leaders to assert that the shootdown of the Malaysian passenger jet over eastern Ukraine really isn’t the sort game changing event I suggested it was. But I think it misses the bigger picture.
Russian separatist commander: Malaysian plane was full of already dead bodies.
A fascinating look at how the ‘Islamic State’ now controlling large swaths of Iraq and Syria is using a mix of fanaticism and pragmatism to try to consolidate their chunk of territory into something resembling a state.
ICYMI: Why the shootdown of Malaysia Air MH17 is an even bigger deal than we realize.
Meet “Igor Strelkov”, the comical would-be warlord of eastern Ukraine who became a lot less comical after his goons apparently shot down a passenger jet with almost 300 civilians aboard.
Following up on my piece from last night about Putin’s epic goof, here’s an amazing little nugget from David Remnick’s post about the Malaysian Air shoot down.
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. Certainly in the context of Russian history and nationalist aspiration reclaiming the Crimea is a vast accomplishment. 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.
So what’s the story about the pro-Russian rebel leader apparently taking credit for shooting down what he thought was a Ukrainian military transport?