I've grown to detest the word "rational" when used in context with Kremlin's actions or messaging. Too many supposed deep thinkers have tried to make reality fit with what they've been taught by framing these acts in a way to make them normal.
https://twitter.com/andersostlund/status/1509092006492053510
Over time this had an echo chamber effect where otherwise smart people end up believing whatever hype Putin's government was pushing. This has helped normalize the most despicable acts because they have to have it make sense to justify the labor sunk into their studies.
So we've reached a point where downing civilian airliners and getting lists of hospitals to bomb from neutral international orgs are again claimed to be rationale or reasonable if only you view it their Russia's "lens." You fucking idiot think tankers made this a reality.
One thing I've been taking glee in seeing is these types howling in agony as sometimes -decades- of work in analyzing the state of Russia or it's military has been proven to be garbage. You'd think they would be happy to see NATO vs RU but they saw they were wrong & are seething.
Scenarios like this is why OSINT has been exploding much thanks to @EliotHiggins @oryxspioenkop & a bunch of other autists. Reaching consensus tends to be based on observable data rather than squaring past theory w/ observable data. Get into collecting data, end up fun places. 
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