Today, a few days before Thanksgiving, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down a Russian SU-24 that violated Turkish airspace. During the Russo-Turkish war in 1877 a comical song called Abdul Abulbul Amir was heard in the London music halls, relating the battle between the Turkish hero Abdul Abulbul Amir and the Russian hero Ivan Skavinsky Skavar. We may rest assured that Putin will retaliate, but how? I would imagine it might be much like the epically comic battle between Abulbul and Skavar, which I relate below, but with a change in lyric.

A Turk F-16 has just lined up his shot
And brought down a plane with red star
And Putin then cried
I’ve a man true and tried
Whose name is Skavinsky Skavar
For Putin has teamed with the Syrian side
In spite of the disdainful sneer
From that bearded old man
With the unnatural tan
His foeman, Abulbul Amir
Skavinsky Skavar turned the cheers into groans
As he fiercely tamped down the last cheer
And faced down the lout
Who had ended the bout
It was Abdul Abulbul Amir
Then Putin loud cried that the die has been cast
It cannot be changed or denied
And Skavinski Skavar
Flashed his terrible scar
As he strangled Abdul till he cried
They wrestled all night, ‘twas a terrible fight
Obama first hung back in fear
Then with fierce flashing eyes
He stabbed both the thighs
Of Abdul Abulbul Amir
The war was thus won by the deed of the One
And Putin was crowned the new Tsar
Then they plied him with wealth
And they toasted the health
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skavar