The Merchant of Death-For-Griner Trade is Atrocious, But Should Not Be The Story

Lets be clear: implicitly or explicitly vilifying a discharged Marine to defend the indefensible: MerchantOfDeath-for-celebrity  trade is a disingenuous false equivalency

The Biden Administration’s decision to swap Russian arms dealer known as the ‘Merchant of Death’  for WNBA star Brittney Griner has unified the country like none other:  everyone has an opinion, and those who do not, are probably unconscious

The far-left propagandist, New York Times – as Elon Musk characterizes the NYT published an Open Letter to Welcome Brittney Grimes, worthy of royal privilege, while the rest of the mainstream media focusees on Btittney’s wife – the abnegated and long suffering partner.

Predictably, conservatives are not happy. “Doing Bad Deals’: GOP Rep Who Served In Elite Army Unit Rips Biden Over Trading ‘Merchant Of Death’ For Griner: by Harold Hutchison at CDN – A Republican congressman who served with an elite Army unit blasted the #Bidenadministration Thursday” writes CDN on a Tweeter post

Griner catapulted to national  prominence not only for her heroics on the basketball court, but off the court as well.  In 2020, Phoenix Mercury and WNBA star Brittney Griner told The Arizona Republic “that she didn’t think the national anthem should be played before WNBA games and she said that she would not be on the floor if it was. After being found guilty and convicted of drug possession and smuggling by a judge in Russia. Social media had a field day mocking her AntiAmerican stance”.  Conservatives dislike that an AntiAmerican celebrity was swapped for the Merchant of Death, while former Marine, Paul Whelan, set up by Russian Intelligence, was convicted by Russia in 2020 of spying and was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison colony was left behind.  

Tom Pasquarello, the DEA agent who put Viktor Bout in prison blasted Brittney Griner swap:  “I’m kind of in disbelief that someone with the potential to orchestrate arms deals that can kill Americans anywhere in the world would be traded for a prisoner,” Tom Pasquarello told Yahoo! Sports

Responding to criticism launched by conservatives, as is usually the case, was fast and furious, resorting to what CNN refers to as Cynical Strategies – AKA LIDDD: Lie, Ignore, Deflect, Deny. Dr Michael Thomas on a LinkedIn post since deleted applauds the release of ANY American ” but we need to get a few facts in context” he writes, then goes on personal attacks against former Marine Paul Whelan, calling him a convicted felon for starters. Others continued the attacks on Whelan.

Lets be clear: implicitly or explicitly vilifying a discharged Marine to defend the indefensible: Merchant Of Death-for-celebrity trade is a disingenuous false equivalency. Others on Dr. Thomas’ thread questioned his patriotism:  Bob Fertik, democrats.com president calls Elon Musk and GOP traitors for instance – and just like that the patriotism of 50% of Americans is questioned:  The P-Word is now used more often than the R-word, and like any other buzzword, it has become meaningless and it’s the intellectually lazy way out.

But while the trade is at least questionable, that should not be the story. The story should be the gross misapplication of the Blackstone Ratio;  When crimes occur, societies often cannot know for certain if a suspect is guilty or innocent. Consequently, societies must grapple with the type of “mistakes” they will tolerate more, sometimes punishing o innocent people or sometimes allowing guilty people go free. The American system, has long erred on the side of protecting innocence.: The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. William Blackstone wrote, “Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” Benjamin Franklin went further arguing “it is better a hundred guilty persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer. Without political influence, there are practical obstacles trying to implement the Blackstone Ratio:

Now add political bias and the problem is even more complex. Remind me again which prominent progressive has been held to account for the voting irregularities, Russia Hoax, Ukraine Hoax, corruption or any other trespass? Destroying email servers? Withholding PC evidence?  Why?  Because as Nancy Pelosi loves to say – Absolutely No One Is Above The Law

The Jan. 6th Political Prisoners are  being treated to Siberia-style incarceration while your average terrorist gets Club-Med treatment courtesy of Guantanamo

Saudi Mohammed Bin Salman gets immunity:  The Biden administration determined that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, should be granted immunity in a case brought against him by the fiancée of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whom the administration has said was murdered at the prince’s direction.

So, while The Merchant of Death-For-Griner Trade is Atrocious, It Should Not Be The Story.

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