Should U.S. Swap ‘Merchant of Death’ for Brittney Griner?

[hog88]

PR win for Putin at home that may give him some relieve in the Ukraine situation.

It's an absolute win for Putin on the home front.

 

[mrorange211]

How much of the arms business do you believe is networking?

 

[hog88]

How much of the arms business do you believe is networking?

The majority of it is networking and contacts within friendly governments.

 

[mrorange211]

how many of those networking contact still exist after twenty years? and how many eastern european governments have excessive Cold War weaponry left over from the fall of their oppressors in 2022?

 

[mrorange211]

it seems to me that some variables have changed where this "merchant of death" will no longer have the same capabailites as 2002.

 

[VolStrom]

it seems to me that some variables have changed where this "merchant of death" will no longer have the same capabailites as 2002.

Please tell us what those variables are?

 

[hog88]

how many of those networking contact still exist after twenty years? and how many eastern european governments have excessive Cold War weaponry left over from the fall of their oppressors in 2022?

I'd say quite a few of his contacts are still around and it's not eastern Europe where he would be getting the hardware. It would be the middle east, Africa and primarily Russia. It won;t take long for him to get back into business.

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

I'm just now doing some research about Paul Whelan, and it turns out he is a citizen of 4 countries (I didn't know that was possible) US, Canada, Britain and Ireland. That alone sounds like some James Bond sh!t to me, and he received a bad-conduct discharge from the military. Somehow, he became the "corporate security officer" for Borg Warner and went to Russia to attend a wedding when he was arrested for receiving a flash drive with what he claimed was "vacations photos" and the Russians claimed were state secrets.

I don't know how much of this to believe, but I don't doubt this guy was most likely a spy. If anyone has any better information of this guy, I'd like to read about him.

But Griner broke their law as well. I realize it’s not as bad/ major a crime, but she did legitimately break their law.

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

His story is essentially identical to Griner's, except he isn't a known figure to the general public.

Right. Very little public outcry for him.

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

Because it isn't relevant. It's a sporting event, not a USA pep rally. Personally I can go without reciting nationalistic propaganda (which is what it is, not necessarily saying it's inherently bad) before every single sporting event I attend. But it doesn't stop me from going, in the same respect that players kneeling or not standing for the anthem also will not stop me from going. I don't care what people do or don't do during the anthem. I do think it isn't necessary aside from international events like the olympics.

I feel the same. I’m not going to personally kneel during the anthem, but if someone wants to that’s their right. Isn’t that the great thing about the US?

 

[VolStrom]

But Griner broke their law as well. I realize it’s not as bad/ major a crime, but she did legitimately break their law.

Trust me, I think the lesbian WNBA play should still be in jail in Russia. She hates America and probably didn't realize that the country she hated freed her from a Russian prison.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

'Never leave a marine behind. Never': Elon Musk Condemns Biden's decision to offer prisoner swap to free WNBA star Brittney Griner - but leave Paul Whelan to Rot in Russian jail

Elon Musk has condemned Joe Biden's decision to offer a prisoner swap for Brittney Griner while former US Marine Paul Whelan languishes in a Russian jail.

Musk also tweeted on Friday that the president should 'never leave a Marine behind. Never.'

Elon Musk condemns Biden's decision to free Brittney Griner but leave Paul Whelan behind | Daily Mail Online

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

Viktour Bout looks like a high school science teacher.

He really doesn’t look at all like what I expected .

 

[Franklin Pierce]

The Lesbian basketball dribbler may have a statue of her erected alongside George Floyd.

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

Trust me, I think the lesbian WNBA play should still be in jail in Russia. She hates America and probably didn't realize that the country she hated freed her from a Russian prison.[/QUOTE
You would think if one was going to another country, particularly one that’s not crazy about Americans, one would be very careful not to take illegal items. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me.

 

[CagleMtnVol]

What?

 

[ClearwaterVol]

A Shameful Prisoner Swap
'Antiracism' is no way to conduct foreign policy

Not three years ago, Brittney Griner refused to take the floor when the WNBA played the national anthem before tipoff. "I think we should take that much of a stand," she said at the time, arguing that "basketball doesn't mean anything in a world where we can't just live. We can't wake up and do whatever we want to do." Such is the plight, she said, of being black in America.

Yet it was in part Griner's race, as well as her sexual orientation—she is a lesbian—that made her detention by Russia in February a high-profile news story and turned her case into a cause célèbre for activists and journalists, but we repeat ourselves.

It is also why the Biden administration on Thursday struck an ill-advised deal to trade Griner's freedom for that of Viktor Bout, an arms dealer and weapons smuggler who was convicted in 2011 of conspiring to murder American citizens. Not included in the deal was Russia's release of Paul Whelan, a white, cisgender, heterosexual former Marine arrested in late 2018 on trumped-up charges. For all of Griner's complaints about being black in this country, she's gotten far better treatment than her white counterpart.

A Shameful Prisoner Swap - Washington Free Beacon

You're upset that she fact that she refused to take part in the National Anthem, but you're okay with acting like Whelan was not dishonorably discharged from the Marines for theft.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Democratic Senator Joins Critics Blasting Griner release: ‘Deeply disturbing decision’

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) blasted the prisoner exchange with Russia that led to the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Menendez, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed Griner home in a statement before slamming the conditions of the Biden administration’s deal.

“This should be a moment of deep reflection for the United States government to recognize we have a serious problem with hostage-taking of Americans. The Russians and other regimes that take American citizens hostage cannot pretend that there is equivalence between the Brittney Griners of the world and people like Viktor Bout, the so-called ‘Merchant of Death.’ Nothing could be further from the truth, and we cannot ignore that releasing Bout back into the world is a deeply disturbing decision," Menendez said.

“This should be a moment of deep reflection for the United States government to recognize we have a serious problem with hostage-taking of Americans. The Russians and other regimes that take American citizens hostage cannot pretend that there is equivalence between the Brittney Griners of the world and people like Viktor Bout, the so-called ‘Merchant of Death.’ Nothing could be further from the truth, and we cannot ignore that releasing Bout back into the world is a deeply disturbing decision," Menendez said.

Democratic senator joins critics blasting Griner release: ‘Deeply disturbing decision’

 

[Weezer]

You're upset that she fact that she refused to take part in the National Anthem, but you're okay with acting like Whelan was not dishonorably discharged from the Marines for theft.

IF Whelan was actually a spy, the dishonorable discharge was probably a cover. haven't read enough about him to have an opinion either way.

Honest question, do you think we should have been able to get more for Bout than Griner? Should we have even entertained trading an arms dealer back to Russia while they're continuing their invasion of the Ukraine? Are we not sending billions to the Ukraine? This whole mess just sounds counterintuitive to me. Russia obviously came out on top in this deal IMO. I'm happy for BG and her family, but Biden looks dumb for this.

I'm curious if American women will continue to go to Russia to play in their women's league? I hope not, but money motivates people to do stupid things.

 

[Weezer]

I'd say quite a few of his contacts are still around and it's not eastern Europe where he would be getting the hardware. It would be the middle east, Africa and primarily Russia. It won;t take long for him to get back into business.

I do believe there may be some military equipment to be had in Afghanistan.....

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

What?

I think there will be a couple of narratives based on this. One being that women athletes have to supplement their regular pay by playing abroad and this isn’t fair/ they should make as much as men. The second being that if this had been a NBA player the public outcry would have been larger and may have led to a quicker release.
Not saying I agree with either of these.

 

[Weezer]

People against this swap because of Griner's race, sexuality, social stances, etc. are wrong. None of that matters. She deserves to be free. And I wouldn't have any opposition to this if we had gotten more. But Bout for Griner is a bad trade.

 

[hog88]

People against this swap because of Griner's race, sexuality, social stances, etc. are wrong. None of that matters. She deserves to be free. And I wouldn't have any opposition to this if we had gotten more. But Bout for Griner is a bad trade.

Some just refuse to understand this.

 

[Weezer]

I think there will be a couple of narratives based on this. One being that women athletes have to supplement their regular pay by playing abroad and this isn’t fair/ they should make as much as men. The second being that if this had been a NBA player the public outcry would have been larger and may have led to a quicker release.
Not saying I agree with either of these.

They would deserve equal pay if their league drew as many supporters as the NBA. But it doesn't. Their pay should be commensurate with the revenue they draw.

 

[StarRaider]

They would deserve equal pay if their league drew as many supporters as the NBA. But it doesn't. Their pay should be commensurate with the revenue they draw.

I don't see a date of this comparison (maybe 2019).... but the nba generates revenue in excess of 100 times what the wnba generates.... that is why the salaries are what they are.

NBA vs WNBA: Revenue, Salaries, Attendance, Ratings