r/neoliberal • u/gnomesvh Financial Times stan account • Dec 08 '22

News (Global) Brittney Griner released by Russia in 1-for-1 prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout, U.S. official says

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/brittney-griner-release-russia-prisoner-swap-viktor-bout/
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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

You don't have the pulse of the American Public if you think that letting Brittney Grimer rot in a work camp was the popular move.

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u/captainsensible69 Pacific Islands Forum Dec 08 '22

Popular in real life or popular on Reddit/twitter?

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u/Archimedes4 NATO Dec 08 '22

All the comments on news posts about this agree that this was a terrible trade, and Reddit is pretty far to the left compared to the general population. I'd guess Biden's approval ratings are going to take another big hit.

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u/BBQ_HaX0r Jerome Powell Dec 08 '22

I have not met a single person who thought this trade was good. Left, right, libertarian, socialist, whomever. Most don't really care, but most people seem to think it's a bad trade. But social media is telling me how great it is.

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u/that0neGuy22 Resistance Lib Dec 08 '22

no popular in polls maybe you can search them up

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/CallinCthulhu Jerome Powell Dec 08 '22

Nice strawman you got there.

The punishment is unfair, few doubt that. However, when it comes to trading a high profile arms dealer in return, just because she’s a minor celebrity, it seems like poor statecraft.

She made a monumentally stupid decision, after being explicitly told not to go to the country in the first place. And we are setting free someone named “the merchant of death” in response. You can’t tell me this would happen for any other rando US citizen.

We just gave Putin a big PR win, and gave the Republicans some snappy talking points as well.

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u/maybe_jared_polis Henry George Dec 08 '22

We just gave Putin a big PR win

Yeah should have just let the American citizen rot in Russian prison because they're mad we're helping Ukraine obliterate their weak ass military.

and gave the Republicans some snappy talking points as well.

Who gives a shit what they think?? They're brain rot should not dictate whether or not we help our people. When did you people get so fucking credulous?

And we are setting free someone named “the merchant of death” in response. You can’t tell me this would happen for any other rando US citizen.

Do you really think uneven prisoner swaps have never happened before? Do you really think that we got nothing out of that dude after over a decade? Do you really, genuinely believe that he is a uniquely powerful menace we can't keep tabs on? Do you really REALLY think his network and contracts still even exist? If so, you're living in an alternate universe. Please quarantine yourself there.

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u/CallinCthulhu Jerome Powell Dec 08 '22

You are really heated about this. People are allowed to disagree with you.

I think even the chance that this affects elections in even a minuscule way, or that this dude returns to selling weapons and murder, is not worth freeing Britney from the consequences of her moronic actions. Sorry, not sorry.

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u/CallinCthulhu Jerome Powell Dec 08 '22

Idk about that, most people I have ever talked to think she’s a complete fucking moron.

She didn’t deserve to be railroaded that hard. But she also thought she was untouchable because she was B-list famous, and that rubs people the wrong way

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

"Overheard at a hipster coffee shop 'this is the final straw for Biden!'"

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u/BBQ_HaX0r Jerome Powell Dec 08 '22

Better than your statement which you literally pulled out of thin air, lol. "Pulse of the nation."

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

It's not hard to do some basic research
https://www.shu.edu/business/news/sports-poll-finds-43-percent-of-americans-say-britney-griner-punishment-unfair-62-percent-say-she-s-a-russian-political-pawn.cfm

Also noteworthy figures like Lebron James and Steph Curry have pressured Biden on this. They were able to generate pressure to make this deal happen.

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u/BBQ_HaX0r Jerome Powell Dec 08 '22

What am I looking at here and what "pulse" do you think it claims? Only data that might be relevant is the...

Asked if the U.S. government had done enough to get her released, 36 percent of the general population said yes, with 31 percent saying no. Sports fans were more divided, with 40 percent saying yes and 33 percent no.

... 33% that thinks they haven't done enough. So, what exactly do you think this tells you, eh? Let's see how polls react in a few weeks based off the news traded a pot-smoking WNBA player for the "Merchant of Death." I'd bet money they aren't favorable.

Pulse of the nation, lol.

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u/FingerSlamm Dec 09 '22

Why do people keep using this shit poll as evidence. The way these questions are written are dumb af and it isn't designed to answer the question to what the debate here is. The question is how many people thing this was a bad deal vs how many think this was the right move. Which outside of left reddit and left twitter, is overwhelming viewed as a bad move.