In response to the Russian action, Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R) said that Putin was “saber-rattling” and it was a “muscle-flexing kind of nonsense.” He also said that it was pointless, “Truth of the matter is we would have squashed either one of those [bombers] like baby seals.”
I’m not sure what baby seals have to do with this, or why he thought that was an apt metaphor, but this kind of thinking is so blind to why Russia flew so close to California. The US has been upping their language, and has been doing its own “saber-rattling,” so it is rather stupid to blame Putin for playing the same game we are.
Can we all just relax, and stop calling Putin stupid or unjustified? We are ramping up, and so why wouldn’t Russia. Of course we have obligations to help our allies, but that doesn’t mean we have to demonize Putin. Demonization of ones opponent is one of the first stages of the propaganda wars that can lead to full out war. And we don’t need that.