Brittney Griner prisoner swap

[MPhillips]

Pesha...

[headshuck]

 
I'm starting to think...just MAYBE...that the flaming, white-hot insane MAGA hatred of Britney Griner...might...just MIGHT be about her race and sexual orientation.
MAY-be.
 

 

Sorry that the President of the American Federation of Teachers comments triggers you.

I don’t think anyone on this thread is “white hot, insane, MAGA” or hates anyone.

I’m just tired of being embarrassed by the current administration. I’ve been democrat, republican and independent. My God what must the rest of the world think of our decision process and leadership?

[Nailbender]

The only people I have seen bring up her sex or race in this thread don't appear to be Trump supporters. Oddly enough they are also the only ones who can't stop talking about Trump. This is Branden's show now. Let's talk about him.

Joe Biden got Ms. Griner home. Time will tell at what cost. Being a politician for a long time doesn't mean squat for your negotiating skills, it just means you can look out for what's good for you......really well.

[Le duke]

 

Sorry that the President of the American Federation of Teachers comments triggers you.

I don’t think anyone on this thread is “white hot, insane, MAGA” or hates anyone.

I’m just tired of being embarrassed by the current administration. I’ve been democrat, republican and independent. My God what must the rest of the world think of our decision process and leadership?

That’s regularly a survey question asked by Pew, Gallup, etc.

Pretty stark changes from one administration to the next.

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/06/22/international-public-opinion-of-the-u-s-remains-positive/


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[Le duke]

The only people I have seen bring up her sex or race in this thread don't appear to be Trump supporters. Oddly enough they are also the only ones who can't stop talking about Trump. This is Branden's show now. Let's talk about him.
Joe Biden got Ms. Griner home. Time will tell at what cost. Being a politician for a long time doesn't mean squat for your negotiating skills, it just means you can look out for what's good for you......really well.

I brought it up because it’s relevant to her treatment in Russia. While I’m guessing she’d have been convicted* all the same if she were straight and white, I’m guessing her treatment, by an administration that is virulently homophobic, is probably worse than a straight, white American woman would receive.


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[Nailbender]

[Mike Parrish]

https://www.today.com/news/wnba-star-brittney-griner-released-russian-prison-rcna60730

Quote

People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return. The U.S. insists it does not have any Russian spies in its custody, and thus no one to trade to meet the Kremlin’s demand.

Maybe all the overnight prisoner swap experts can take a pill now.

[headshuck]

Oh shucks, we don’t have any of your spies. Let’s see…. Oh! We have your Merchant of Death! Would you take him for both detainees?

No. Only basketball player.

Doesn’t see fair, but ok.

PS. Please get out of Ukraine.

[jross]

 

 

[jross]

Unpopular take.  The MoD should have been dispatched swiftly after conviction several years ago.

[Ban Basketball]

Again,  I'm pretty ignorant of it all,  but I can't help but notice that the usual loud,  critical voices in our society are decrying an international arms trader/smuggler (not exactly sure what he did),  yet endorse wild west gun laws on our own soils and in their States.

"We don't want guns getting into dangerous peoples' hands!" 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Ban Basketball

[Nailbender]

44 minutes ago, Ban Basketball said:

Again,  I'm pretty ignorant of it all,  but I can't help but notice that the usual loud,  critical voices in our society are decrying an international arms trader/smuggler (not exactly sure what he did),  yet endorse wild west gun laws on our own soils and in their States.

"We don't want guns getting into dangerous peoples' hands!" 

Maybe look into what he did and get back to us?

 

I'm not trying to be mean to you here, I just don't get it. You mention twice that you're not sure what he did but then comment on it as if your opinion should be recognized. I don't understand that kind of thinking. If you don't know anything about it, maybe your ideas on the subject aren't that relevant?

[Nailbender]

[Ban Basketball]

12 minutes ago, Nailbender said:

Maybe look into what he did and get back to us?

 

I'm not trying to be mean to you here, I just don't get it. You mention twice that you're not sure what he did but then comment on it as if your opinion should be recognized. I don't understand that kind of thinking. If you don't know anything about it, maybe your ideas on the subject aren't that relevant?

He's an arms dealer/ smuggler, right?

If so,  and if guns don't kill people but people do,  why are his actions seen as so dangerous then? Isn't he,  in the end,  making us all safer by getting more guns out there to protect us from bad guys?

Again,  apparently guns don't kill people,  people do. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Ban Basketball

[Nailbender]

29 minutes ago, Ban Basketball said:

He's an arms dealer/ smuggler, right?

If so,  and if guns don't kill people but people do,  why are his actions seen as so dangerous then? Isn't he,  in the end,  making us all safer by getting more guns out there to protect us from bad guys?

Again,  apparently guns don't kill people,  people do. 

Again, look into the man and get back to me.

I think you'll find the differences between him and your local sporting goods store to be vast. If you would like to start a topic on gun control, I'm your huckleberry.

[jross]

Only when including suicides are gun deaths similar to vehicle death counts.  Nobody talks about banning car sales.  The salesman who sells a car later used to drive into a crowd is not a Merchant of Death.  The legal gun dealer that sells guns for legal purposes is not a merchant of death, regardless of what someone does.  The Russian Arms dealer that sells guns to people for the open purpose of killing people is a Merchant of Death.  This is not comparable at all.

[Ban Basketball]

8 minutes ago, Nailbender said:

Again, look into the man and get back to me.

I think you'll find the differences between him and your local sporting goods store to be vast. If you would like to start a topic on gun control, I'm your huckleberry.

I did check in the meantime and he's exactly what I had heard he was. 

Based on this guy, at least we can conclude that guns are indeed dangerous,  and that they do play a role in killing people.  On that,  I'll never disagree. 

I'll have to let it go at that.  If I spend too much time offering my view ask heck breaks loose and I get the angry villagers and the mod all over me,  threatening to ban me.  The "Got Music" thread is too important for me to take any chances. 

[Ban Basketball]

12 minutes ago, jross said:

Only when including suicides are gun deaths similar to vehicle death counts.  Nobody talks about banning car sales.  The salesman who sells a car later used to drive into a crowd is not a Merchant of Death.  The legal gun dealer that sells guns for legal purposes is not a merchant of death, regardless of what someone does.  The Russian Arms dealer that sells guns to people for the open purpose of killing people is a Merchant of Death.  This is not comparable at all.

But,  the guns don't kill people,  people do,  right?

[Mike Parrish]

3 hours ago, jross said:

Unpopular take.  The MoD should have been dispatched swiftly after conviction several years ago.

This is why there's the rule of law.

[Mike Parrish]

1 hour ago, Nailbender said:

Babylon Bee?
Seriously?

Their tagline
 

Quote

Babylon Bee is the definitive source of fake news you can trust.

 

[mspart]

At least you can trust that they are fake news.   They are open and out front with it as opposed to other outlets.  Plus they make some good funnies. 

mspart

[mspart]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/viktor-bout-capturing-the-merchant-of-death/

November 18, 2010 / 3:56 PM / CBS

Rarely does the U.S. government want anyone more than it wanted Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death." U.S. government officials say Bout became the world's most notorious arms dealer by fueling civil wars around the world. Courted by drug lords and dictators, the U.S. saw him as a threat because of his ability to arm terrorists targeting the United States.

A former Russian military officer, Bout has been protected by powerful friends, and long considered simply untouchable by law enforcement. But three years ago the DEA devised a bold undercover operation to capture him. This past week they brought him to New York to face terrorism charges.

Now, those at the heart of "Operation Relentless" - a sting that spanned three continents - tell the story behind it for the first time.

The result: Bout spent the last two and a half years in a Bangkok prison, before finally being extradited to New York. Now, those at the heart of the stunning sting - one that eventually spanned three continents - tell the story behind it for the first time.

"Viktor Bout in my eyes is one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth," Michael Braun, the former chief of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told correspondent Armen Keteyian.

Braun told "60 Minutes" Bout first "exploded" on the scene in war-torn West Africa in the late 1980s, elevating bloody conflicts from machetes and single shot rifles to military grade assault rifles.

"AK-47s not by the thousands but by the tens of thousands," Braun explained.

"So he weaponizes civil war in Africa," Keteyian remarked.

"He transformed these young adolescent warriors into insidious, mindless, maniacally driven killing machines that operated with assembly line efficiencies," Braun said.

Now 43, Bout, from Tajikistan (formerly a Soviet republic), is a mystery man who reportedly served in the Soviet Air Force and intelligence service. The U.S. has indicted him on four terror-related charges, including "conspiracy to kill Americans."

Asked what makes Bout a threat to the United States, Braun said, "He is a shadow facilitator. He's arming not only designated terrorist groups, insurgent groups, but he's also arming very powerful drug trafficking cartels around the globe."...

Seems a bit more than your garden variety arms dealer. 

mspart

[Ban Basketball]

Perhaps the new mantra will be,  "Guns don't kill people,  people do.  Well, except for Russian guns. "

[jross]

Probably because I'm rural and a data guy but the gun topic is confusing.  Guns are statistically a nonissue.

3M of 330M U.S. citizens (1%) die annually.  The causes of death are not limited to:

• Heart disease - 700K
• Vehicles - 40K
• Homicide by firearm - 19K 

0.5% of deaths are caused by homicide from a firearm.  The average citizen has a 0.006% chance of dying from an idiot using a gun.  Your chance of death from a public mass shooting is 0.0~%, while over 80M citizens own guns and over 400M guns exist in the U.S.  

[Mike Parrish]

4 minutes ago, jross said:

Probably because I'm rural and a data guy but the gun topic is confusing.  Guns are statistically a nonissue.

3M of 330M U.S. citizens (1%) die annually.  The causes of death are not limited to:

• Heart disease - 700K
• Vehicles - 40K
• Homicide by firearm - 19K 

0.5% of deaths are caused by homicide from a firearm.  The average citizen has a 0.006% chance of dying from an idiot using a gun.  Your chance of death from a public mass shooting is 0.0~%, while over 80M citizens own guns and over 400M guns exist in the U.S.  

I'm a rural data guy too.

I'm also a gun owner and pretty avid shooter.

I'm waiting to see if San Jose's firearm owner insurance program works.