9 Years---Ouch

[CarlMega]

The timing here is Putin wanting a political bargaining chip and a scalp. That's it. A wholly corrupt country run by corrupt tyrants who celebrate human indignities, cruelty and suffering. The motives are clear.

[Danno]

Eh, never underestimate the stupidity of athletes who have been coddled since they were 8 yrs old. Combined with the fact that her team owner in russia is an oligarch who fawned over her and her teammates, id bet she had been bailed out of situations multiple times over the years there. Just bad timing this go around, when she got caught and her oligarch team owner wasnt willing to help her due to the political climate.

Or, it could have been planted. But, the tea leaves tell me thats less likely. I do not believe for a second she "accidentally" packed them.

So, rather than thinking that she accidentally packed them, you prefer to think that she always packed them in the 7 years she's been playing there but this time they didn't look the other way. Because reasons. And you also assume she's been coddled since she was 8 years old because of her athletic ability.

Ok.

[Danno]

The timing here is Putin wanting a political bargaining chip and a scalp. That's it. A wholly corrupt country run by corrupt tyrants who celebrate human indignities, cruelty and suffering. The motives are clear.

exactly. Maybe she packed them accidentally, or maybe californiagrown is right and she always packed them, or maybe she didn't pack them but because she is a known THC user, Russia decided they needed a pawn and people would believe that she did it. Nobody here knows the truth. What is obvious is that regardless of whether she did pack them, she is and always has been used as a pawn in a much larger political game.

[ex-powderbroker]

It sure is accomplishing a lot for Putin by destroying America internally. Here and elsewhere we have a lot of whattaboutism and a distinct lack of sympathy for a person and athlete that brought home 2 golds who might die halfway across the world from her family for something pretty minor. Of course an individual is responsible to "follow the rules" but when the sentence doesn't fit the crime... are there even rules? It sucks this famous gun dealer might get flipped in a trade and it sucks that she is being thrown in jail for nine years. It's ok to just say that the situation blows rather than grandstanding about how weed isn't universally legalized at home or that supposedly people are in jail somewhere else. Were the "people in SE asia" taken to score a political victory?

[CarlMega]

It sure is accomplishing a lot for Putin by destroying America internally. Here and elsewhere we have a lot of whattaboutism and a distinct lack of sympathy for a person and athlete that brought home 2 golds who might die halfway across the world from her family for something pretty minor.

That "America First" rhetoric is strangely silent. Huh.

[californiagrown]

Russia decided they needed a pawn

Regardless of how or why some vape cartridges found their way into her bag, the story here is that she is being crazily over-sentenced, solely because of the above. If she had been sentenced per common sense AND according to russian law, she would have been free months ago. But, russian leadership has no scruples and wants her as a political pawn.

[californiagrown]

That "America First" rhetoric is strangely silent. Huh.

No theyre not. Take a glance at Fox news and read all the hateful messages about how as a supporter of BLM she deserves everything shes getting and more. Shes a gay, liberal, black, woman... you can imagine how not quiet that contingent is when voicing their opinions of her. Shoot, maybe if we amplify that contingent to putin, he will think she isnt really a good pawn after all?

[k2skier112]

As much as it sucks to hear, some lives are worth more than others. Her life is worth more than joe blow pothead who got caught with a gram of weed flying into thailand on a "find himself" vacation.

Elaborate...because she can play a sport, because she has money??? Some lives are worth more is fucking insane, IMO. We're all just gooey bags of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon & nitrogen, worth maybe $10
Placing a monetary value on a life is pretentious and elitist

[californiagrown]

Elaborate...because she can play a sport, because she has money??? Some lives are worth more is fucking insane, IMO. We're all just gooey bags of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon & nitrogen

Because she is famous, her life is worth more. When someone is famous they have power. the more power you have, the more important you are. Pretty simple, and im always a little amazed at why people dont understand this basic fact of life.

[klauss]

I had never heard of her until her arrest. Stiff sentence, but plenty of Americans here in US serving similar sentences for the same crime. Absolutely no way should she be traded for an arms merchant or a murderer. Trade for a Russian citizen imprisoned in the US for weed possession is ok.


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really now. 9 years for possession of less than a gram of hash oil in U.S.

[hikesalot]

I’ve been following this since the beginning and Danno is on point.

[CarlMega]

No theyre not. Take a glance at Fox news and read all the hateful messages

Oh I know. And I know, you know I meant their messaging inconsistency and usual vapid signaling of 'F all other countries, we support America and Americans first and always". They just mean support their political allies and screw their perceived enemies regardless of American or to the benefit of America. The usual bad faith politics and disingenuous bullshit..

[Danno]

Elaborate...because she can play a sport, because she has money??? Some lives are worth more is fucking insane, IMO. We're all just gooey bags of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon & nitrogen, worth maybe $10
Placing a monetary value on a life is pretentious and elitist

existentially, of course all lives are equal and nobody is worth more. But in a geopolitical theater, a famous athlete is certainly worth more than a random guy who went to Thailand for a thing.

[JimmyCarter]

Elaborate...because she can play a sport, because she has money??? Some lives are worth more is fucking insane, IMO. We're all just gooey bags of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon & nitrogen, worth maybe $10
Placing a monetary value on a life is pretentious and elitist

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[ex-powderbroker]

this particular issue makes some weird bedfellows. i guess there’s enough hatred to go around.

[Hopeless Sinner]

really now. 9 years for possession of less than a gram of hash oil in U.S.

The charge is smuggling, not just possession.

[dunfree]

existentially, of course all lives are equal and nobody is worth more. But in a geopolitical theater, a famous athlete is certainly worth more than a random guy who went to Thailand for a thing.

part of that is Putin personally really values athletes, athletic events, and athletic success. Has spent tens of Billions for the World Cup, W Olympics, F1, etc. and to some level thinks we value her the same way. And I think that’s not true.

[TNKen]

I think the charges were, in fact, trafficking. She pled guilty. Apparently they wouldn't "bargain" with her like they do in the US.

And I'm sure she is and will be used as a bargaining chip after serving a year or two.

[californiagrown]

part of that is Putin personally really values athletes, athletic events, and athletic success. Has spent tens of Billions for the World Cup, W Olympics, F1, etc. and to some level thinks we value her the same way. And I think that’s not true.

IDK, i wouldnt be surprised for her to become a cause celebre in the sports world- NFL, NBA, MLB etc. Remember how many idiots lost their mind when folks took a knee during the anthem the first time around?? Putin wins when people want her back, and he also wins when people dont want her back and she becomes a divisive storyline in american culture.

[TahoeJ]

Wow, okay, trafficking charges with that little on her makes it pretty obvious she’s a political pawn and I hope they just get her home. Having said that, let’s also hope this is a wake up call about our own drug policies back here. (Yeah right)

[Timberridge]

I beleive it's part of a grand plan to turn her into a FSB spy. I believe her sentence gets reduced if she agrees to attend a re-education and training camp in Okhotsk for 24 months and then she'll get released back to America with microphones in her sneakers.

[toast2266]

On one hand, the charges are clearly trumped up. 9 years in a penal colony is ridiculous, and the U.S. should not stand by as Russia plays political games with our citizens.

On the other hand, as a high profile person that went and played basketball in a country that's an enemy of the U.S., Griner took a risk in return for a big payday. From what I've seen, she also admitted to having vape cartridges with her, which was an even bigger risk. While the charges against her are purely political theater, trading Griner for a war criminal seems wrong on a bunch of different levels. She took a personal risk for personal reward, and this time it didn't pan out for her. Which is unfortunate, but it also doesn't feel like something the U.S. needs to go to great lengths to rectify.

[CarlMega]

On one hand, the charges are clearly trumped up. 9 years in a penal colony is ridiculous, and the U.S. should not stand by as Russia plays political games with our citizens.

Russia only recognizes power. Dealt with a strong pimp hand at all and any times, regardless of fairness. Over reach, unreasonably so. Fuck them. At every opportunity we should lean on them like a fucking boss.

I have mixed emotions about the situation. Maybe the best I can express is, I think there's value in a societal expectation about conducting yourself in such a way where you are unlikely to be easily exploited by an adversary. I'm not ready to lay that on one person tho; I can think of worse examples.

Willing to trade one oligarch yacht.

[Danno]

On the other hand, as a high profile person that went and played basketball in a country that's an enemy of the U.S., Griner took a risk in return for a big payday.

This part is absolutely true. While she has been playing there for years and describing Russia as an enemy of the US is only a very recent event (while Putin has always been evil, and while Russia has been engaged in a cold war against us for years, the safety of people traveling there has not been an issue until the Ukraine thing happened), I believe there was a State Dept advisory already in effect when she went there this time.

From what I've seen, she also admitted to having vape cartridges with her, which was an even bigger risk.

The only admission has come while in custody, as part of her trial. It was a sham trial and her conviction was actually required in order for any prisoner swap to occur. She was certainly advised to admit to the crime. Whether she committed the crime is unknown to us, her admission in a Russian court is meaningless. Once she is not in Russia and can speak freely, I will believe an admission then. Until that moment, there has been no meaningful admission.

[Mani_UT]

yeah i agree having anything to do with drugs in countries with no real rule of law or the death penalty is not the brightest

even without drugs the 2 michels were arbitrarily detained by the chinese for 1000 days over the Huawei fiasco

Exactly. it can be summed up by greedy people ignoring how fucked a country is just because for a while there is easy money for them.
It's really a case of leopard ate my face.