1/2 way there!

**Jarod** · 12-08-2022, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by Dutch Uncle

How many deaths will Viktor Bout be resonsible over the next 5-10 years?

It's good to support the idea of "Leave no one behind", it's also good to remember "Work for the greater good".

Likely 0 after being held for 13 years. Something like that changes you significantly, makes you less capable, less able. To assume someone goes back to their old life after that is a silly assumption.

**Doc Dutch** · 12-08-2022, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by Jarod

Likely 0 after being held for 13 years.

He's only 55. How are you calculating the odds he won't get back in the arms business until age 65? How many lives are being gambled with on this?

Again, "the Merchant of Death" for a basketball player who was snatched precisely in hopes of this eventuality. Who is playing whom here?

**Jarod** · 12-08-2022, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by Street Glider

The very thought that Griner would be released while Whelan is still behind bars is fucking disgusting.

Biden, once again, proves to be a complete embarrassment to his country...

And if it was only possible to get BG out? No way to get Whalen out, leave her?

**TOP** · 12-08-2022, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Nomad

It was not a choice.

Griner is who the Russians offered.

Whelan was not even on the bargaining table.

Learn the facts before you spout off.

Then you don't make the swap.... unless you're Biden or whoever told Biden to do it...

**Jarod** · 12-08-2022, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by Dutch Uncle

He's only 55. How are you calculating the odds he won't get back in the arms business until age 65? How many lives are being gambled with on this?

Again, "the Merchant of Death" for a basketball player who was snatched precisely in hopes of this eventuality. Who is playing whom here?

The Russian we released was to be released in in 3-6 years anyway. We would have had no power to keep him longer.

**Jarod** · 12-08-2022, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by TOP

Then you don't make the swap.... unless you're Biden or whoever told Biden to do it...

So you would rather leave two people, when it was possible to get one of them home.

**floridafan** · 12-08-2022, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dutch Uncle

True to an extent, but trading the world's most dangerous arms trafficker, "The Merchant of Death", for a basketball player seems lopsided to me.

On the surface, it appears as fucked up as Obama's swapping five major GITMO terrorists for Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/ameri...ntl/index.html
Viktor Bout: Russian arms dealer known as the ‘Merchant of Death’ swapped for Brittney Griner

https://ballotpedia.org/Bowe_Bergdahl_exchange

You are as right as usual, let just keep Americans imprisoned abroad, eh?

**Street Glider** · 12-08-2022, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Jarod

And if it was only possible to get BG out? No way to get Whalen out, leave her?

Yup...

**TOP** · 12-08-2022, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Jarod

So you would rather leave two people, when it was possible to get one of them home.

You can make as many excuses as you like ..both should have been released or none..

**TOP** · 12-08-2022, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by Street Glider

Yup...

...in a swap like that.. yes... they didn't trade her for hockey player who is in the US on some kind of arrest... now there's no leverage to get Whelan back..

**Doc Dutch** · 12-08-2022, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by Jarod

The Russian we released was to be released in in 3-6 years anyway. We would have had no power to keep him longer.

So what? How many lives could be saved by keeping him the extra 6 years? Do you really think he'd have been released earlier than his full sentence?

Again, like the Bergdahl swap, I think the US was hornswoggled by the enemy once again. This only encourages the global opinion that the US is weak.

**Doc Dutch** · 12-08-2022, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by floridafan

You are as right as usual, let just keep Americans imprisoned abroad, eh?

You're free to believe no deaths will occur by releasing the arms dealer. Just close your eyes and say "This is good for Brittney" before taking your victory lap.

**Jarod** · 12-08-2022, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by TOP

You can make as many excuses as you like ..both should have been released or none..

I’ll take what I can get.

Waylon’s brother fully supports getting BG out.

**Jarod** · 12-08-2022, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Dutch Uncle

So what? How many lives could be saved by keeping him the extra 6 years? Do you really think he'd have been released earlier than his full sentence?

Again, like the Bergdahl swap, I think the US was hornswoggled by the enemy once again. This only encourages the global opinion that the US is weak.

Likely no lives would have been saved, but for sure BG’s has been saved.

**floridafan** · 12-08-2022, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by Dutch Uncle

You're free to believe no deaths will occur by releasing the arms dealer. Just close your eyes and say "This is good for Brittney" before taking your victory lap.

Spoken like the good anti American right winger you are.