Brittney Griner

[Diogenes]

Is trading an arms dealer murderer for a low level drug offender in America's interest?

I'm torn on this on this issue. I want to get Briner and Paul Whelan home, ASAP.
Putin runs an obscenely criminal regime. Russia has long employed their strategy of lies to imprison foreign nationals on minor or faked offenses. I don't know whether or not Paul Whelan spied or if he was the victim of planted evidence. I do know Brittney Griner broke a silly Russian law by bringing a personal amount of marijuana oil into Russia. Tho' I don't buy her 'accident' excuse, even if I did, this was her fault.

No one should enter Russia without expecting this kind of treatment, particularly if they are a public figure. As unfair and unjust as this is, she brought it on herself. In doing so she has damaged both herself and the United States which is now faced with giving in to blackmail and releasing a convicted arms dealer and murderer for someone holding a vape cartridge.

Worse, by paying off Russia with a swap, we are encouraging Russia to continue their criminal misuse of their joke of a justice system. I believe trading Griner for Bout is bad for the USA and is being done purely because of political pressure brought on by the sad fact professional athletes have greater status than the average American.


A true American hero would refuse to be involved in such a swap.

[Inquirer]

Is trading an arms dealer murderer for a low level drug offender in America's interest?

I'm torn on this on this issue. I want to get Briner and Paul Whelan home, ASAP.
Putin runs an obscenely criminal regime. Russia has long employed their strategy of lies to imprison foreign nationals on minor or faked offenses. I don't know whether or not Paul Whelan spied or if he was the victim of planted evidence. I do know Brittney Griner broke a silly Russian law by bringing a personal amount of marijuana oil into Russia. Tho' I don't buy her 'accident' excuse, even if I did, this was her fault.

No one should enter Russia without expecting this kind of treatment, particularly if they are a public figure. As unfair and unjust as this is, she brought it on herself. In doing so she has damaged both herself and the United States which is now faced with giving in to blackmail and releasing a convicted arms dealer and murderer for someone holding a vape cartridge.

Worse, by paying off Russia with a swap, we are encouraging Russia to continue their criminal misuse of their joke of a justice system. I believe trading Griner for Bout is bad for the USA and is being done purely because of political pressure brought on by the sad fact professional athletes have greater status than the average American.


A true American hero would refuse to be involved in such a swap.

I don't think this is an easy thing to argue morally, like the decision Churchill took to bomb the French fleet in order to prevent the Nazis seizing it or the decision to use two nuclear weapons against Japan, its just a hard decision and it is what it is.

What if freeing Briner and bringing her back boosts the Democrats, reduces the chances of a Republican win for president in 2024? reduced the chances of Trump becoming President for a second time? would a true American hero not do all he could to prevent that outcome?

[Diogenes]

I don't think this is an easy thing to argue morally, like the decision Churchill took to bomb the French fleet in order to prevent the Nazis seizing it or the decision to use two nuclear weapons against Japan, its just a hard decision and it is what it is.

What if freeing Briner and bringing her back boosts the Democrats, reduces the chances of a Republican win for president in 2024? reduced the chances of Trump becoming President for a second time? would a true American hero not do all he could to prevent that outcome?

I agree, if we are going to bring in a side issue, anything that would remove Donald F. Trump from the American scene would be good for politics, America, and the world.