yes, but do you have a flag?

There was an article in the New York Times today about how the "Russians" have planted a flag in the arctic seabed - like literally underwater. Am I wrong in being confused about whether or not the cold war actually ended? Is this common knowledge to everyone but me? The picture showed a flag not flying in the wind but swimming, kind of limply, in the water. Though I have to admit it is more majestic than the cardboard cutout we put on the moon. Now that I think of it, did we leave that there? The real problem I have with this aquatic land-claim is that it doesn't really work symbolically. Place a flag in a newly discovered country, and, well, more land. Place a flag on the moon, and you've reached for the stars. But place your flag underwater, what are you trying to say, really? That your country has sunk to a new low? Been deep-sixed? I guess there's that whole oil thing, but come on, if you're that serious, place a minefield around it and don't tell anyone. On the bright side, as far as we know, there are no exploitable mer-people down there who will have the pleasure of being conquered and finally liberated so that they can go on to enjoy decades of bloodshed and civil war. In fact, maybe it's better this way. If we're going to have a dick-slinging contest we might as well do it in a place where there are few, if any, innocent bystanders do be hit by our flailing projectiles.