is the promise of no man left behind, lost
The Marines, take care of the man next to you, is selfless. Your concern is on your fellow soldiers, not on yourself. Is the promise of no man left behind, lost? The U.S. government made a deal with the devil to bring Brittney Griner home. Our government made a 1 for 1 prisoner swap. Our government thought her of equal value to an arms dealer.
Not a good trade.
we are not making light of this nightmare decision
Supposedly, they pushed for a 2 for 1 deal, but Russia said “no.”
So Biden made the “very painful decision” to solely secure the basketball star’s release, a senior administration official said. While Biden scored a major diplomatic victory, he again disappointed the Whelan family that has waited four years to embrace him.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/08/biden-griner-whelan-russia-00073044
They consider this a victory? This woman chose to break the law, in Russia. Did she think her celeb status made her special? Did she think she was above the law? We have a Marine stuck in Russia and Griner gets to come home. Our Marine’s stuck in prison and his crimes are baseless. Griner is coming home to the country that she disrespects by taking a knee in the Anthem.
Biden calls this decision painful. It is very painful to the family of Marine, Paul Whelan. Biden as painful as the decision was for him wants pats on the back and ataboys.
this surprising compromise with Russia was wrong
Griner was imprisoned and sentenced to 9 months for vape cartridges with hash oil. She did that on her own. Paul Whelan charged with espionage in 2020, received a 16 year prison sentence. Paul discharged from the Marines for larceny (he is accused of using someone else’s social security number) and writing bad checks. His arrest in Russia is baseless.
“I can’t imagine how someone with a law enforcement background who is also a former US Marine, and who is now working in corporate security and is also aware of the risks of travel, would have broken any law let alone the law related to espionage,” he said. – David Whelan.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46757119
“If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance,” he added. “I can’t imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. It’s clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes.” – David Whelan
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46757119
Our hearts are with Paul Whelan’s family. The decision made for the 1 for 1 swap had to be a huge blow to the Whelan family.
the stunning decision to swap for this man
Who did Biden swap? His name is Viktor Bout, aka the merchant of death. In 2008, he was one of the worlds most wanted men. Russia wanted his release for a long time.
https://www.reuters.com/world/who-is-viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-swapped-griner-2022-12-08/
You can read about him at that link. He’s a real gem. Our Justice Department described Bout as one of the world’s most prolific arm’s dealers. And here is the reason for the swap.
The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.
https://www.federaltimes.com/home/2022/12/08/wnba-star-freed-in-us-russia-prisoner-swap-marine-veteran-still-held/
The United States places a high value on the lives, lifestyles, and opinions of its celebrities.
Along with her sports fame, the fact that she was a gay, Black woman heaped immense pressure on the Biden administration to get her stateside.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/08/biden-griner-whelan-russia-00073044
this is what happens when the right boxes are checked
A black gay athlete checked off the boxes needed to get her released. The Biden Administration received extra pressure when Griner moved to a penal colony. Biden hoped to make a deal for Griner now that midterm elections were over. The U.S. released a former Soviet Army Lieutenant Colonel. Our mainstream media reports Putin saying that we are moving closer to a nuclear war. This is a terrible trade at a terrible time.
An athlete with an overexaggerated sense of her own self worth is worth more than the life of a Marine. The charges on the Marine are baseless. The charges on the athlete were not. With everything in this Administration, it doesn’t make sense. The Marine is rotting in Russia for 4 years and has a long time to go.
Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, infused racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and made each development a matter of international importance.
https://nypost.com/2022/07/27/donald-trump-defends-post-election-actions-on-truth-social/
This wouldn’t be upsetting if they left her sexual preference, race, gender, job, and sex out of it. All of those things make her important? Being part of the LBGT community makes her important? Those of us who are heterosexual are not important? Do you think that Paul Whelan is getting preference for being white or male. Is he receiving special treatment for being heterosexual, if he is? Do you think he is getting special treatment because he is a former Marine? It’s only a speculation, but probably not.
