The power of social media -- and the purposes of the air

[Joel S. Berson]

According to a local radio breaking news item (close paraphrasing):

"Ukrainian separatists are claiming that they shot down a Malaysia 
Air passenger plane using social media."

Or perhaps merely the power of the almighty misplaced clause.

And from 
http://abcnews.go.com/International/malaysian-air-loses-contact-passenger-plane-ukraine/story?id=24599558

  Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed that the plane 
"disappeared from radar screens."

"In recent days, this is the third tragic accident after the Russian 
territory were downed aircraft AN-26 and SU-25 Armed Forces of 
Ukraine. We do not exclude that this aircraft was also shot down, and 
stress that the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not commit any action to 
defeat the purposes of the air," he added in a statement.

(I do not attest to the correctness of the transcription of President 
Poroshenko's "In recent days" sentence.)

Joel

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org