Two clear-cut bad international actors

The two international crises dominating the news this weekend have something in common: In each there’s a clear-cut bad actor who’s responsible for the bloodletting and misery afflicted on innocent people.

No Ukrainian crisis would exist — and no airliner would have been shot down — had not President Vladimir Putin financed, armed, trained and provided boots-on-the-ground leadership to the Russian-speaking separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine, turning the region into a war zone.

Israel would not have directed air strikes or sent its troops into the Gaza Strip had not Hamas, the terrorist organization ruling there, rained rockets on Israeli towns and cities, forcing millions into bomb shelters.

No one disputes the clear right-and-wrong in these outbreaks of violence except for apologists for Putin’s push to expand Russian hegemony in Eastern Europe and Israel-haters who excuse terrorists forcing the people of Gaza to be cannon fodder.

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