wretchard: Remember that Putin is basically
a wannabe. He made the kleptocracy (Russian Mafia????) into the Russian government. He thinks he is running them but they are really running him. Their desire for easy cash flow is the driving force in what Putin will do in order to “keep his job”.

In this regard he is a lot like the fictional Politburo in “Red Storm Rising” and a whole lot like the Japanese militarists of the 1930s. They kept worsening and worsening their fundamentals with their “conquests” until finally it was either resign in disgrace, committ sepuku or attack Pearl Harbor.

Putins conquests are all about oil money as the other rackets just can’t measure up.
Drill, drill, drill and guarantee our/friendly
producers an adequate price and the resulting surplus will hit the bad guys as hard as a mushroom cloud.

And be sure to read Austin Bay’s latest on Texas Hold Em. And John Barnes at National Review has suggested Pussycats With Wings—–AKA Flying Tigers. Both ideas worthy of consideration.