Brittney Griner in jail

[Sordhau]

It frankly doesn't matter whether or not the Russians arrested her for possessing drugs or for to use her as leverage for political clot. Either scenario is despicable and the Russian government is in the wrong; either for using athletes as bargaining chips or for banning drugs in the first place.

[Ethel mermania]

The notion that this happened because Russia is crap. 10 years ago You cross the US border with a couple vapes and you got caught you were doing jail time, not 10 years, but they were prosecuting. the company we were traveling for told us if caught we were on own, US customs don't play.

That's great that that's what a company told you about US customs 10 years ago, but I'm struggling to see how that has anything to do with anything I just said. Do you honestly believe her arrest is totally unrelated to current geopolitical events and happened purely because the customs guys at Sheremetyevo are just so dang good at their job of finding people's vapes?

Yes, they pick randoms to search and have dogs sniff the luggage. It wouldn't surprise me to find out she has done this before and not gotten caught and this time she simply was unlucky.

[Senkaku]

That's great that that's what a company told you about US customs 10 years ago, but I'm struggling to see how that has anything to do with anything I just said. Do you honestly believe her arrest is totally unrelated to current geopolitical events and happened purely because the customs guys at Sheremetyevo are just so dang good at their job of finding people's vapes?

Yes, they pick randoms to search and have dogs sniff the luggage. It wouldn't surprise me to find out she has done this before and not gotten caught and this time she simply was unlucky.

You think the American celebrity athlete was just randomly selected for a drug screening on her way out of the country around the outbreak of a major war, and that sniffer dogs just happened to find some vape cartridges in her bag? You don’t think there was any political consultation about the case in advance by anyone in the FSB hierarchy or the diplomatic corps?

[Senkaku]

It frankly doesn't matter whether or not the Russians arrested her for possessing drugs or for to use her as leverage for political clot. Either scenario is despicable and the Russian government is in the wrong; either for using athletes as bargaining chips or for banning drugs in the first place.

It matters a great deal, because whereas right-wing Americans could give a fuck about a Black woman getting arrested on drug charges, they tend to be more sympathetic to American citizens being used as political hostages by violent foreign autocracies, and public pressure is going to determine whether the administration decides she’s worth offering to trade someone. Personally, I think even though it’s fucked up, we shouldn’t offer to trade any arms dealers, but in terms of her case public opinion is going to determine whether the WH ends up thinking it’s politically worth it to make a swap.

[Ifreann]

She broke the law and is incarcerated for it. How is that unjust?

The law itself is unjust. And even if the law were just, it is being unjustly applied.

---

It's been posted before that possession of small quantities of hashish is an administrative offence, not a crime, punishable by a small fine or 15 days in jail.

But she was not busted for possession but for smuggling, a more serious offense.

And that is very clearly a case of her being grossly overcharged so that she can be held ransom. It is deeply baffling that you people persist in trusting the fucking Russian government on this. Not only are they obviously not trustworthy, what do any of you think Griner was actually doing? Can you offer any explanation for why she would smuggle drugs into Russia? She's already rich, it can't be the money. She's a professional athlete, so it's unlikely that she's such a huge drug fiend that what she packed for personal use would be above the limit for possession.

[Ethel mermania]

Yes, they pick randoms to search and have dogs sniff the luggage. It wouldn't surprise me to find out she has done this before and not gotten caught and this time she simply was unlucky.

You think the American celebrity athlete was just randomly selected for a drug screening on her way out of the country around the outbreak of a major war, and that sniffer dogs just happened to find some vape cartridges in her bag? You don’t think there was any political consultation about the case in advance by anyone in the FSB hierarchy or the diplomatic corps?

Not a drug screening, a luggage search, and yes it happens all the time. Last flight into US my kid was a random.

[Rusozak]

It frankly doesn't matter whether or not the Russians arrested her for possessing drugs or for to use her as leverage for political clot. Either scenario is despicable and the Russian government is in the wrong; either for using athletes as bargaining chips or for banning drugs in the first place.

It matters a great deal, because whereas right-wing Americans could give a fuck about a Black woman getting arrested on drug charges, they tend to be more sympathetic to American citizens being used as political hostages by violent foreign autocracies, and public pressure is going to determine whether the administration decides she’s worth offering to trade someone. Personally, I think even though it’s fucked up, we shouldn’t offer to trade any arms dealers, but in terms of her case public opinion is going to determine whether the WH ends up thinking it’s politically worth it to make a swap.

Republican voters aren't going to be swayed by a prisoner exchange. They always find a way to bitch and moan no matter the outcome. Either he's heartless and leaves an American to rot in a Russian jail, or he's spineless and caters to Russia by giving them someone they want in exchange.

[Ifreann]

You think the American celebrity athlete was just randomly selected for a drug screening on her way out of the country around the outbreak of a major war, and that sniffer dogs just happened to find some vape cartridges in her bag? You don’t think there was any political consultation about the case in advance by anyone in the FSB hierarchy or the diplomatic corps?

Not a drug screening, a luggage search, and yes it happens all the time. Last flight into US my kid was a random.

It's great the insights into Russian customs you have gained by your experience in American airports.

[Senkaku]

You think the American celebrity athlete was just randomly selected for a drug screening on her way out of the country around the outbreak of a major war, and that sniffer dogs just happened to find some vape cartridges in her bag? You don’t think there was any political consultation about the case in advance by anyone in the FSB hierarchy or the diplomatic corps?

Not a drug screening, a luggage search, and yes it happens all the time. Last flight into US my kid was a random.

What did they do on your last flight out of Sheremetyevo, since that’s the airport in question that she was departing from? And sorry, I should’ve used the precise technical language for what type of search they did rather than something ambiguous enough that you could intentionally misinterpret it as me talking about a blood or urine panel.

[Senkaku]

It matters a great deal, because whereas right-wing Americans could give a fuck about a Black woman getting arrested on drug charges, they tend to be more sympathetic to American citizens being used as political hostages by violent foreign autocracies, and public pressure is going to determine whether the administration decides she’s worth offering to trade someone. Personally, I think even though it’s fucked up, we shouldn’t offer to trade any arms dealers, but in terms of her case public opinion is going to determine whether the WH ends up thinking it’s politically worth it to make a swap.

Republican voters aren't going to be swayed by a prisoner exchange. They always find a way to bitch and moan no matter the outcome. Either he's heartless and leaves an American to rot in a Russian jail, or he's spineless and caters to Russia by giving them someone they want in exchange.

I mean, it’s not just Republican voters; they have in fact handed the administration a no-win political dilemma with their own voters and people they hope to persuade as well. Either we abandon her to the gulag, or maybe we let a war criminal go free. Hence why I’m suggesting there may have been the teensiest bit of malice aforethought in the planning of her arrest by Russian authorities, who have more reason than just about anyone to want to get back at Biden however they can.

[Ethel mermania]

Not a drug screening, a luggage search, and yes it happens all the time. Last flight into US my kid was a random.

It's great the insights into Russian customs you have gained by your experience in American airports.

I have flown all over the world, customs is the same everywhere, with one exception Within the schengen zone. Any other country is the same. I am sorry the narrative doesn't work out for you.

[Ifreann]

It's great the insights into Russian customs you have gained by your experience in American airports.

I have flown all over the world, customs is the same everywhere, with one exception Within the schengen zone. Any other country is the same. I am sorry the narrative doesn't work out for you.

An yet you keep talking about your experience in American airports. Surely your extensive experience with Russian airports would be more relevant?

[GuessTheAltAccount]

Fuck her. She carried the drugs in, its fucking Russia, how stupid do you have to be to attempt that?

This is a woman who has claimed multiple times how shitty the USA is. Let her learn the difference, 10 years in a Russian prison seems like justice to me.

Reacting to trash-talking of the USA by letting someone rot in a Russian prison is like reacting to someone calling you violent by assaulting them.

[Senkaku]

Fuck her. She carried the drugs in, its fucking Russia, how stupid do you have to be to attempt that?

This is a woman who has claimed multiple times how shitty the USA is. Let her learn the difference, 10 years in a Russian prison seems like justice to me.

Reacting to trash-talking of the USA by letting someone rot in a Russian prison is like reacting to someone calling you violent by assaulting them.

That is one of the most common reactions people have when they’re called violent, and Ethel is nothing if not common, so I think this all scans. Self-proclaimed patriots are usually the ones with the most masochistic visions of what patriotism would actually mean for their country.

[Antipatros]

Au contre

..... I would propose that her actions of competing and winning for her country on the international stage speak louder of her patriotism than her words in opposition to the national anthem being played at WNBA matches and similar sporting events...

you perceive her as inadequately patriotic and therefore find it funny/deserved that she's getting tossed in the gulag over some vape cartridges and geopolitical bullshit... but see yourself as a patriot, I'm guessing?

Disgusting, isn't it?

[Ethel mermania]

I have flown all over the world, customs is the same everywhere, with one exception Within the schengen zone. Any other country is the same. I am sorry the narrative doesn't work out for you.

An yet you keep talking about your experience in American airports. Surely your extensive experience with Russian airports would be more relevant?

International airports, ( i used US customs to show they are no different than the Russians). Now I have never been to Russia, I do know enough people who have, and its all the same.

[American Legionaries]

Fuck her. She carried the drugs in, its fucking Russia, how stupid do you have to be to attempt that?

This is a woman who has claimed multiple times how shitty the USA is. Let her learn the difference, 10 years in a Russian prison seems like justice to me.

Reacting to trash-talking of the USA by letting someone rot in a Russian prison is like reacting to someone calling you violent by assaulting them.

Nonsense, assault is an aggressive action, nobody here has advocated for aggressive action against Griner.

[GuessTheAltAccount]

Reacting to trash-talking of the USA by letting someone rot in a Russian prison is like reacting to someone calling you violent by assaulting them.

Nonsense, assault is an aggressive action, nobody here has advocated for aggressive action against Griner.

That's not the point. The point is that it'd be responding to someone's criticism in a manner that proves their criticism valid.

[American Legionaries]

Nonsense, assault is an aggressive action, nobody here has advocated for aggressive action against Griner.

That's not the point. The point is that it'd be responding to someone's criticism in a manner that proves their criticism valid.

If by "proves their criticism valid" you mean "people who already agree with her will continue to agree with her" then sure. But that's silly.

[GuessTheAltAccount]

That's not the point. The point is that it'd be responding to someone's criticism in a manner that proves their criticism valid.

If by "proves their criticism valid" you mean "people who already agree with her will continue to agree with her" then sure. But that's silly.

It's not just "continue to agree with her". It bolsters the validity of it in and of itself. A country that will let one of their own rot in prison for criticizing it is a shitty country.

[American Legionaries]

If by "proves their criticism valid" you mean "people who already agree with her will continue to agree with her" then sure. But that's silly.

It's not just "continue to agree with her". It bolsters the validity of it in and of itself. A country that will let one of their own rot in prison for criticizing it is a shitty country.

To you...

[Necroghastia]

It's not just "continue to agree with her". It bolsters the validity of it in and of itself. A country that will let one of their own rot in prison for criticizing it is a shitty country.

To you...

If you can present a coherent argument for why that's not a shitty thing to do, by all means go ahead.

[American Legionaries]

To you...

If you can present a coherent argument for why that's not a shitty thing to do, by all means go ahead.

Simple, Griner's not worth the cost.

[Sordhau]

It frankly doesn't matter whether or not the Russians arrested her for possessing drugs or for to use her as leverage for political clot. Either scenario is despicable and the Russian government is in the wrong; either for using athletes as bargaining chips or for banning drugs in the first place.

It matters a great deal, because whereas right-wing Americans could give a fuck about a Black woman getting arrested on drug charges, they tend to be more sympathetic to American citizens being used as political hostages by violent foreign autocracies, and public pressure is going to determine whether the administration decides she’s worth offering to trade someone. Personally, I think even though it’s fucked up, we shouldn’t offer to trade any arms dealers, but in terms of her case public opinion is going to determine whether the WH ends up thinking it’s politically worth it to make a swap.

I literally don't care what Right-wingers think.

[Senkaku]

It matters a great deal, because whereas right-wing Americans could give a fuck about a Black woman getting arrested on drug charges, they tend to be more sympathetic to American citizens being used as political hostages by violent foreign autocracies, and public pressure is going to determine whether the administration decides she’s worth offering to trade someone. Personally, I think even though it’s fucked up, we shouldn’t offer to trade any arms dealers, but in terms of her case public opinion is going to determine whether the WH ends up thinking it’s politically worth it to make a swap.

I literally don't care what Right-wingers think.

I’m not saying you should, just that what they collectively think about this case will eventually have an effect on shaping the narrative over whether it’s worth it to trade someone for her