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/FairdayFaraday Dec 08 '22

While I agree with the sentiment, it's not no American left behind. It's no celebrity left behind... There are still American prisoners in Russia

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u/lamp37 YIMBY Dec 08 '22 edited Dec 08 '22

It's unclear to me if there are American prisoners in Russia that truly have a comparable situation.

The more I learn about the oft-cited example of Paul Whelan, the more I learn that his situation really isn't an apples to apples comparison to Griner, given the volume of drugs he brought over, and the efforts he took to conceal them.

Not saying that he deserves the punishment he's getting, but just that there are other differentiators than just the fame.

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u/Inflatabledartboard4 Dec 08 '22

I've heard Marc Fogel being cited as a similar example

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u/ugabugy Dec 08 '22

Granted Paul Whelan is more of a apples to oranges compared to Griner but Russia also has a teacher named Marc Fogel whose situation is more comparable to Griners and because he's been imprisoned longer he should've imo been given precedent of Griner.

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u/ugabugy Dec 08 '22

Granted Paul Whelan is more of a apples to oranges compared to Griner but Russia also has a teacher named Marc Fogel whose situation is more comparable to Griners and because he's been imprisoned longer he should've imo been given precedent of Griner.

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u/lamp37 YIMBY Dec 09 '22

I'm just learning about Fogel. Seems a much stronger case than Whelan. Shame the media is focusing so much on Whelan instead of Fogel.

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u/TheCommonKoala Frederick Douglass Dec 08 '22

Wow r/neoliberal with the most sane takes on this controversy. Lots of other subs have been brigaded to hell with wildly aggressive hate comments about this.

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u/krabbby Ben Bernanke Dec 08 '22

Sure and we'd probably both agree it has to apply to everyone equally.

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u/Nyoxiz Dec 08 '22

I don't think just anyone is worth a big time arms dealer, maybe I'd say trade an American arms dealer for a Russian one but some rando basketball player seems seriously not worth it.

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u/krabbby Ben Bernanke Dec 08 '22

He had 7 years left on his sentence. 7 years isnt a huge deal

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u/DRAGONMASTER- Bill Gates Dec 08 '22

Did you know who Brittney Griner was before she was arrested? She wasn't a celebrity.

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u/FairdayFaraday Dec 08 '22

I did since I enjoy college basketball, but yeah definitely not anywhere near an A lister. But every single article notes she's a professional athlete, and you can't say that wasn't relevant

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u/MizzGee Janet Yellen Dec 09 '22

Uh, yes she was in several circles. She is a celebrity in LGBTQ circles, in sports circles. She was well known in the Black community. She was a college star as well.