"Part of the rationale for fast-tracking Russia's inclusion into the global economy was that interconnection would be a check on aggression. But the Kremlin has figured out that this can be flipped: Interconnection also means that Russia can get away with aggression."

Here we are 100 years after the start of World War I and the same powder keg scenario is happening again. It's as if a hundred years of history and technology have changed nothing at all. 

Why is Putin the aggressor and not defender?

Psych studies show that aggressors under estimate the force of aggression and overestimate the force of response.  Tit for tat leads to escalation.  

The USA started it with war in proxy states and then NATO/EU expansion. 

A 1 trillion dollar defense budget is defacto aggression. 

My 3 year old boy ask "daddy why don't we hit people"

1) we don't want to hurt anybody

2)it does not get us what we want 

3)they might hit you back

The USA does not believe they will get hit back, they think it gets them what they want and they don't give a shit about the dead. 

Russia will hit back.  But they are not agressor. 

If my older daughter taunts her brother and takes his stuff and he hits her, she is the aggressor. 

My daughter never thinks she brought it on herself. 

And yes I am comparing the world leaders to children. 

Comparing the world's leaders to children seems apt.

reminds me of two previous articles:

http://pandawhale.com/post/39944/russian-aggression-is-a-predictable-result-of-bad-western-policy

http://pandawhale.com/post/40392/alexander-dugin-and-the-philosophy-behind-putins-invasion-of-crimea-foreign-affairs