US and Russia agree to swap Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

[Brian]

The only trades that irk me are the ones of people who enter North Korea. You want to gamble on your life to enter that shit hole, good luck. 

[BloodyHell]

On 12/8/2022 at 10:44 AM, sblfilms said:

I’m glad the U.S. gets our people, even if this was a “bad” trade

 

On 12/8/2022 at 10:51 AM, nublood said:

A guy who supplied weapons to the Taliban and Al Qaeda for a freakin basketball player? Yea, it was a bad trade. But at least we got our basketball player back.

 

On 12/8/2022 at 10:52 AM, Mr.Vic20 said:

It doesn't feel good to release a person with the title "Merchant of Death" but I'm glad she is headed home! 

He’s an average arms dealer that was made famous by a Hollywood movie. His position was swept up as quickly as he was. 
 

also, according to Ryan Grim’s reporting, he is dying anyway.

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

 

lmao imagine thinking there’s only 72 genders 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[5timechamp]

My social media feed is just an echo chamber of folks bitching about Biden caring about a “woke” basketball player and completely abandoning Marine Paul Whelan…so F’n annoying

The Russians deal from a position of advantage cause they dont care about their people… If they view a basketball player as being “equal” worth for someone called the “merchant of death” then I can only imagine their demands for a Marine accused of spying…. Btw they think hes some 25-30 year old because they use his service photo in their BS… nevermind the guy is like 52 years old, 16 yrs deep.. heaven forbid you point that out

[unogueen]

If he doesn't fall out a window it's a bad trade. But this is a bitch life so at least some positive was made.

[CheeTo]

So I don't post much, but I've been around these parts for a really long time. I'm 100% on the glad Griner is home train. I think her imprisonment / sentence was ridiculous, even based on Russian law. That said, can someone give me a devil's advocate on this trade? I've seen so much shit like, "only saved because she's a basketball player", "only saved because she is a well known American", "She didn't like America so she deserved it". I disagree with all of that stupid shit I've read, and heard. But the other ear does hear about other Americans in Russian prison for similar crimes that don't get the same grace. Is this just a social justice win for the left? Regardless of actual humanitarian benefits for her.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

12 hours ago, CheeTo said:

So I don't post much, but I've been around these parts for a really long time. I'm 100% on the glad Griner is home train. I think her imprisonment / sentence was ridiculous, even based on Russian law. That said, can someone give me a devil's advocate on this trade? I've seen so much shit like, "only saved because she's a basketball player", "only saved because she is a well known American", "She didn't like America so she deserved it". I disagree with all of that stupid shit I've read, and heard. But the other ear does hear about other Americans in Russian prison for similar crimes that don't get the same grace. Is this just a social justice win for the left? Regardless of actual humanitarian benefits for her.

 

There really is no way to answer this question without knowing the Russian motivations and their demands for wanting to trade this particular prisoner for Bout rather than another one.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

38 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

There really is no way to answer this question without knowing the Russian motivations and their demands for wanting to trade this particular prisoner for Bout rather than another one.

 

Some further info:

 

 

So, the real question is what did the Kremlin want in addition to Bout for them to make the trade solely for Whelan and was that additional "cost" simply too high for Washington?

[Jwheel86]

9 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

Some further info:

 

 

So, the real question is what did the Kremlin want in addition to Bout for them to make the trade solely for Whelan and was that additional "cost" simply too high for Washington?

 

Don't they want that SVR dude in Berlin? 

[CitizenVectron]

Also, assuming Whelan is a spy of some sort, there is an ethical reason to free the civilian even if the spy is worth more.

[Jwheel86]

Trump whatever'ed tonight that he declined trading Whelan for Bout.

[BloodyHell]

On 12/10/2022 at 8:06 PM, 5timechamp said:

My social media feed is just an echo chamber of folks bitching about Biden caring about a “woke” basketball player and completely abandoning Marine Paul Whelan…so F’n annoying

The Russians deal from a position of advantage cause they dont care about their people… If they view a basketball player as being “equal” worth for someone called the “merchant of death” then I can only imagine their demands for a Marine accused of spying…. Btw they think hes some 25-30 year old because they use his service photo in their BS… nevermind the guy is like 52 years old, 16 yrs deep.. heaven forbid you point that out

Exactly what the left would be doing if a GOP president got Whelan and left her behind. That’s just standard politics. 
also, what does age have to do with anything??  She deserves to come home more because she’s younger? Or because she’s famous? It’s not right wing to want an American citizen home.
 

the right is blowing it up, and they are obvious shitbags, but I don’t believe Biden couldn’t have gotten him home. Russia wanted their spy for him, Biden should have traded. His cover is already blown, he’s useless as an asset now, so why not?

 

and to be clear, I’m very glad they got her, I just also don’t think they are doing enough to get Whelan (and neither did the GOP).

[ort]

It sounds like this Whelen guy was actually up to some shady shit. I doubt he was a spy for the American government, he probably had some sort of dealing with the Russian underworld somehow. I mean, maybe the Russian government is lying, but wasn't he found with a suitcase with 80,000 dollars in it? And he went to a wedding, but all the guests say he disappeared for several days?

 

I also find it funny that all of these right wing ghouls are acting like this Whelen guy is some sort of patriot. Dude was courtmartialed and got a dishonorable discharge for defrauding the government and stealing from the military? Some hero.

[GeneticBlueprint]

5 minutes ago, ort said:

It sounds like this Whelen guy was actually up to some shady shit. I doubt he was a spy for the American government, he probably had some sort of dealing with the Russian underworld somehow. I mean, maybe the Russian government is lying, but wasn't he found with a suitcase with 80,000 dollars in it? And he went to a wedding, but all the guests say he disappeared for several days?

 

I also find it funny that all of these right wing ghouls are acting like this Whelen guy is some sort of patriot. Dude was courtmartialed and got a dishonorable discharge for defrauding the government and stealing from the military? Some hero.

That’s what patriots are for the right. See: Jan 6th, Donald Trump, etc

[CayceG]

7 minutes ago, ort said:

It sounds like this Whelen guy was actually up to some shady shit. I doubt he was a spy for the American government, he probably had some sort of dealing with the Russian underworld somehow. I mean, maybe the Russian government is lying, but wasn't he found with a suitcase with 80,000 dollars in it? And he went to a wedding, but all the guests say he disappeared for several days?

 

I also find it funny that all of these right wing ghouls are acting like this Whelen guy is some sort of patriot. Dude was courtmartialed and got a dishonorable discharge for defrauding the government and stealing from the military? Some hero.

 

 

A lot of this is why I don't really have any qualms in saying I'd make the Bout-Griner trade before making the Bout-Whelan trade. Griner didn't have any of that other baggage. 

 

Whelan deserves to come home. But he's definitely got some questions to answer. 

[Guest]

Debating the worth of getting Griner vs Whelan is a losing cause because the people raising it don’t think there is any scenario in which Griner should be helped

[skillzdadirecta]

6 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

Debating the worth of getting Griner vs Whelan is a losing cause because the people raising it don’t think there is any scenario in which Griner should be helped

This.

[stepee]

52 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

Debating the worth of getting Griner vs Whelan is a losing cause because the people raising it don’t think there is any scenario in which Griner should be helped

 

It just goes to show when they are complaining that Biden is helping the “woke” prisoner, woke here isn’t some specific thing she is doing, they are saying she is woke because she is different than them. What they are referring to when they talk about being anti woke isn’t politics or policy, it’s people that they are against.

[outsida]

The right always creates meaningly buzzwords that inevitably boil down to us vs ‘them’. 

[GeneticBlueprint]