There are several important things missing inn this article. When it is already mentioned that he was born in Tajikistan, it should be also mentioned that he is of Ukrainian desent.
Second whole Griner. I am sorry, but what she did is illegal in Russia, full stop, end of discussion. What ever we think about Russia, is not applicable in t…
There are several important things missing inn this article. When it is already mentioned that he was born in Tajikistan, it should be also mentioned that he is of Ukrainian desent.
Second whole Griner. I am sorry, but what she did is illegal in Russia, full stop, end of discussion. What ever we think about Russia, is not applicable in this case. because "When in Rome do as Romans do".
She knew that drugs are illegal in Russia(she played basketball for years there) and that punishments are harsh. This is where US responsibility ends. US is not responsible for people knowing laws of other countries and still acting like they don't apply on Americans.
During this Griner thing, MSM has been trumpeting that she had only small amounts for medical purposes. No, she had illegal amount in foreign country.
I live currently in China, and before Covid used to travel across Asia. One thing I know, dont mess with drugs (even Marijuana) in this part of the world. Drug related crimes are considered only secondary to murder, in many cases people can get decades in prison or even death. I am always annoyed when something similar happens in Asia, when some Westerner acts like local laws dont apply on them. We are guest in these countries, follow their laws, if you dont like it dont come.
Any US citizen who works in countries like Russia, China and the likes has to go in with their eyes opened. They know these are police states and if relations with the US in these countries go south, unless they are uninformed morons, know they can end up in shit hole of a prison on trumped up charges and may die in that prison.
I know from firsthand experience that the State Dept is run by a bunch of elitists assholes who don't give a damn about incarcerated US citizens.
If you don't believe me, read "Wings of Eagles" by Ken Follett:
I served under the man Perot recruited to get his executives out of an Iranian prison. This book read like a Hollywood adventure story. You will see how the State Dept not only did nothing to help these men escape, they actively hindered them.
I have zero respect for the State Dept. JFK tried to bring the State Dept in line but failed claiming they were a force of their own.
When I traveled in Saudi Arabia twenty years ago, the first thing you could see as soon as you got out of the plane was the sign “Death penalty for drug traffickers”.
I did not even get to go. When I graduated from law school I interviewed with an oil company in Houston. One of the first things the interviewer said to me was "[Y]ou know they don't like women over there, right?" Being the ethno-centric modern American that I was, actually I did not. But rather than feel slighted I appreciated the info as I have neither a victim nor martyr complex. Their loss.
I was not born in the US, and as you may know, the US is among the most, if the most, open and least sexist, homophobic, and racist country in the world.
So what difference does it make if Bout is of (some) Ukrainian descent? You probably have no clue about that, but when people joined the KGB or (in this case) the GRU, they left anything else behind. These people belong not even to a separate race, but a separate planet than normal people: the “siloviki” planet. You need to have been born in the communist system to understand that.
I spent about two years abroad back in the nineties. I was amazed at Americans who seem to uniformly believe that whatever's true in the U.S. is true as well in foreign countries. They often learned otherwise the hard way. It's a real blind spot for some.
By any objective standard, Brittney Griner's arrest was just as ridiculous than someone arrested in Singapore for chewing gum. However everyone knows that either chewing gum in Singapore or bringing dope into Russia can land you in big trouble.
Bottom line, Brittney Griner is not a hostage who has been "wrongfully detained". She's a stupid American who should have known better. That doesn't make her treatment just, but it does make it none of the State Dept's business.
As the article says though, while "her strategic value to the United States is approximately zero", her intersectionality value to the woke Democratic Party is very high. Expect a trade.
In my opinion, Brian, the operative 'w' word here isn't woke, it's war. Griner's strategic value may have been zero the day of her arrest, her idiocy obvious - but two weeks later?
Much higher, for both Russia as the invader, and the US, as the arms supplier of Russia's opponent.
This will likely be another win for the woke totalitarians. The nonsense of their case is obvious. Note that the author Peter Savodnik, is another Commonsense "equivocator." His last article bashed MAGA Arizona senate candidate Blake Masters and MAGA in general. The Peter Savodniks of the country have no courage to fight the woke tyrants, only the courage to complain until they will be shut up. Who will fight the woke tyrants? Savodnik will not be silenced before the fighters like Masters are shut up, but he is paving the road to his own censorship/cancelation down the road for daring to suggest Brittney Gainer should not be brought home immediately.
Yes, I know someone who spent three years imprisoned in S. Korea for picking up a package at the post office that contained marijuana. He came out fluent in Korean, though, with a stint on "Locked Up Abroad" and a book deal.
There are several important things missing inn this article. When it is already mentioned that he was born in Tajikistan, it should be also mentioned that he is of Ukrainian desent.
Second whole Griner. I am sorry, but what she did is illegal in Russia, full stop, end of discussion. What ever we think about Russia, is not applicable in this case. because "When in Rome do as Romans do".
She knew that drugs are illegal in Russia(she played basketball for years there) and that punishments are harsh. This is where US responsibility ends. US is not responsible for people knowing laws of other countries and still acting like they don't apply on Americans.
During this Griner thing, MSM has been trumpeting that she had only small amounts for medical purposes. No, she had illegal amount in foreign country.
I live currently in China, and before Covid used to travel across Asia. One thing I know, dont mess with drugs (even Marijuana) in this part of the world. Drug related crimes are considered only secondary to murder, in many cases people can get decades in prison or even death. I am always annoyed when something similar happens in Asia, when some Westerner acts like local laws dont apply on them. We are guest in these countries, follow their laws, if you dont like it dont come.
“Contaminated vape cartridges” 😂
Any US citizen who works in countries like Russia, China and the likes has to go in with their eyes opened. They know these are police states and if relations with the US in these countries go south, unless they are uninformed morons, know they can end up in shit hole of a prison on trumped up charges and may die in that prison.
I know from firsthand experience that the State Dept is run by a bunch of elitists assholes who don't give a damn about incarcerated US citizens.
If you don't believe me, read "Wings of Eagles" by Ken Follett:
https://smile.amazon.com/Wings-Eagles-Inspiring-Spirit-Countrymen-ebook/dp/B0031TZ8TU/ref=sr_1_2?crid=19GJVIFH3707H&keywords=wings+of+eagles+ross+perot&qid=1662652322&sprefix=wings+of+eagl%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-2
I served under the man Perot recruited to get his executives out of an Iranian prison. This book read like a Hollywood adventure story. You will see how the State Dept not only did nothing to help these men escape, they actively hindered them.
I have zero respect for the State Dept. JFK tried to bring the State Dept in line but failed claiming they were a force of their own.
When I traveled in Saudi Arabia twenty years ago, the first thing you could see as soon as you got out of the plane was the sign “Death penalty for drug traffickers”.
I did not even get to go. When I graduated from law school I interviewed with an oil company in Houston. One of the first things the interviewer said to me was "[Y]ou know they don't like women over there, right?" Being the ethno-centric modern American that I was, actually I did not. But rather than feel slighted I appreciated the info as I have neither a victim nor martyr complex. Their loss.
Hi Lynne, What years were those?
I was not born in the US, and as you may know, the US is among the most, if the most, open and least sexist, homophobic, and racist country in the world.
Saudi Arabia. Aramco. It is a different world now and such a statement would now be be the basis of a lawsuit.
So what difference does it make if Bout is of (some) Ukrainian descent? You probably have no clue about that, but when people joined the KGB or (in this case) the GRU, they left anything else behind. These people belong not even to a separate race, but a separate planet than normal people: the “siloviki” planet. You need to have been born in the communist system to understand that.
What is importance to the article that he was born in Tajikistan? Literary 0.
But if we are already digging his birth place we should also disclose what he is. Or is fact that he is Ukrainian uncomfortable to disclose?
And as someone born in Eastern Europe i know very well how things function.
I spent about two years abroad back in the nineties. I was amazed at Americans who seem to uniformly believe that whatever's true in the U.S. is true as well in foreign countries. They often learned otherwise the hard way. It's a real blind spot for some.
By any objective standard, Brittney Griner's arrest was just as ridiculous than someone arrested in Singapore for chewing gum. However everyone knows that either chewing gum in Singapore or bringing dope into Russia can land you in big trouble.
Bottom line, Brittney Griner is not a hostage who has been "wrongfully detained". She's a stupid American who should have known better. That doesn't make her treatment just, but it does make it none of the State Dept's business.
As the article says though, while "her strategic value to the United States is approximately zero", her intersectionality value to the woke Democratic Party is very high. Expect a trade.
In my opinion, Brian, the operative 'w' word here isn't woke, it's war. Griner's strategic value may have been zero the day of her arrest, her idiocy obvious - but two weeks later?
Much higher, for both Russia as the invader, and the US, as the arms supplier of Russia's opponent.
I don't know, Lee. There are other Americans being held in Russia, but the only one we're talking about is Britney Griner.
Russian authorities made sure her arrest was televised world wide. She came at the perfect time.
This will likely be another win for the woke totalitarians. The nonsense of their case is obvious. Note that the author Peter Savodnik, is another Commonsense "equivocator." His last article bashed MAGA Arizona senate candidate Blake Masters and MAGA in general. The Peter Savodniks of the country have no courage to fight the woke tyrants, only the courage to complain until they will be shut up. Who will fight the woke tyrants? Savodnik will not be silenced before the fighters like Masters are shut up, but he is paving the road to his own censorship/cancelation down the road for daring to suggest Brittney Gainer should not be brought home immediately.
I'm having a hard time living under woke totalitarianism....it's causing stress in my daily life.
100%. I’ve also traveled all throughout Asia and it is common to see signs in airports that say drug smuggling is punishable by imprisonment.
They also tell you in the landing announcements on airplanes.
Yes, I know someone who spent three years imprisoned in S. Korea for picking up a package at the post office that contained marijuana. He came out fluent in Korean, though, with a stint on "Locked Up Abroad" and a book deal.
Maybe the state department would have noticed him if he'd decided he was a trans-woman while inside.
Thank You for Your assistance in destabilizing Your country.
Your's truly, Vladimir