WNBA star Brittney Griner is back on US soil again after being released from a Russian penal colony yesterday as part of a “prisoner swap” arranged between the US and Russian governments. Griner, imprisoned for the petty crime of having some hash oil in her luggage, was traded for a convicted arms dealer.
But the US was unable to arrange the release of Paul Whelan, convicted in what the US calls a “sham trial” of being a US spy. It wasn’t a choice between Griner and Whelan; the Russians made clear they would only release Griner unless the US “admitted” that Whelan was a spy and traded him for another spy or spies being held by the US government,
Whelan’s brother said that while he was unhappy that Paul hadn’t been released, he and his family “do not begrudge Ms. Griner her freedom… Brittney’s and Paul’s cases were never really intertwined. It has always been a strong possibility that one might be freed without the other.”
Unless you’re categorically opposed to all prisoner swaps on principle, this seems the only rational response to Griner’s release: to be happy for her but still concerned that another American is sitting in the Russian gulag for a crime he likely did not commit.
But that hasn’t stopped Republicans from throwing a fit over Griner’s release. Nor has it stopped Men’s Rights Redditors from complaining that a black lesbian was released from Russian prison instead of a presumably straight white man.
“As someone said: ‘She ticks all the boxes’- female, black, lesbian,” MrRetrdO put it in a Men’s Rights subreddit thread. “We have all the ‘oppressed’ people in 1 package.”
“That’s the trifecta,” replied Baboon_Stew. “We can just let the white guys rot in a Russian prison now.”
“If he identifies as transgender lesbian that was oppressed in US,” wrote Pooky311, “they will get him out too.”
It isn’t just that she was freed while Whelan wasn’t; some MRAs don’t think she should be free at all.
“She should rot in prison,” complained ImplodedPotatoSalad, adding in another comment that “she is a criminal. And should be happy she didnt try to bring drugs i to pgillipines instead, shed be dead.”
“I would of left her over there,” sniffed WingsofSky/“Taking drugs to a country like that. Stupid.”
It’s all the fault of “gynocentrism,” declared several commenters. “I’d like to hear a feminist opinion on this,” demanded Horse_Cock_Jerker, “and I’d like to see if they still think women are ‘oppressed.’”
Well, Mr. Jerker, I think the misogynistic response to Griner’s release makes it pretty clear that the answer is “yes.”
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I would like to know exactly where this gynocentric universe is. I want to move there.
The first I read of this was from – sigh – a conservative woman. Sounded like MRA’s though.
OT:
Overemotional. Got well paying job, got finals next week to graduate, now learned other grandmother is dead. Feeling overwhelmed. Tried to get bereavement.
Ooglyboggles
Oh my goodness. Stay strong, stay calm, or possibly the best option for you find friendly support from people around you.
Ooglyboggles:
Well, damn. It never stops coming, does it—and in an incessant Cumulative Event Conga Line. (And did you succeed in getting bereavement?)
http://i.redd.it/ojd0by92rvl71.jpg
Hugs or whatever gesture of reassurance is within your comfort zone.
Maybe these warriors should band together, go over to Russia and demand Whelan’s release. They could offer themselves up as hostages in exchange for him.
The MRAs are always screaming that women aren’t repressed while at the same time screaming about stripping women of rights including voting and not be slaves to men. The mental gymnastics they go through to not see women as humans so their oppression of them doesn’t mean they are stripping a human of rights. Then the crying because they feel oppressed because they can’t oppress women
@Milotha:
This is not, by itself, actually contradictory or inconsistent; “women aren’t oppressed, but they should be” may be factually and morally incorrect, but it doesn’t require any particular mental gymnastics, just being wrong in one’s base assumptions.
I mean, sometimes they do also deny women’s humanity or personhood while also using language which carries the inherent assumption that whoever you are talking about is a person. I’m honestly not certain how much to read into that; there is significant value in using established language for the sake of familiarity and clarity, even if it grates against whatever point you’re trying to make. That’s an issue I’ve personally come up against when it comes to countering harmful narratives.
(Not defending them in the slightest; there definitely do exist ones who subscribe to mutually exclusive narratives and as a result come up with ideas which are incoherent even within the context their own ideologies. Also, to reiterate, “factually and morally incorrect”. Just pointing out that this isn’t really an example of inconsistency.)
@Em Zuli
Got room to spare for me to tag along?
@MRA’ers
Get a grip on reality already.
With self-chosen names like MrRetrdO, Baboon_Stew, Pooky311, ImplodedPotatoSalad, WingsofSky, and Horse_Cock_Jerker, I think it’s safe to say that these people are utterly worthless losers, and aren’t even taking themselves seriously. They’re not even worth our time, let alone a refutation.
Welcome home, Brittney Griner! iirc, a different white male prisoner was released instead of Griner in the spring. She didn’t get any special treatment over other prisoners. The Russians simply were not going to release the marine and this was the best deal we could get.
(I am worried that the merchant of death is going to hurt Ukraine :/ But that’s nothing to do with Griner)
@KMB
The more the merrier
Right-wingers are, while falsely claiming that Biden chose Griner over Whelan, making great hay over Whelan being a veteran while conveniently leaving out his BCD and criminal record – you know, the sort of background that they like to claim justifies cops shooting black men on sight.
It’s bad faith turtles all the way down.
@Trying
How? His entire career was based on selling stolen Soviet materiel to anyone with cash; he hasn’t got access to any weapons besides the ones Russia’s already running out of.
For that matter, the US government has a lot of gall decrying some black marketeer as “the Merchant of Death”, being as the US is not just the biggest arms dealer in the world, we sell more arms than the next six biggest exporters combined
Grumpy Cat GOOD
Seriously, I don’t blame the Russians for arresting the other guy. An ex but no longer Marine (when you get court martialed and BCD, you lose the right to the word “Marine”), working for a private company, who had 5 passports, a ton of cash, and thumb drives full of info? It might have been a sham trial, but he did commit crimes a lot worse than less than a gram of vape liquid.
I’m glad she’s home. As bad as things are for Black lesbians here, it beats a Russian gulag. Also, we don’t have any Russian spies to trade for the other guy anyway.
Her being released and that driving the MRAs to froth at the mouth is just a bonus. As long as they’re only sitting at their computers raising their own blood pressure, no prob. Rant at each other all you want, boys; Mom will be bringing you a Hot Pocket soon.
(No disrespect to Hot Pockets — I’ve always loved them. Got some in the freezer right now.)
@Em Zuli: Take me with you!
@Mimihaha: Brilliant! But Russia doesn’t want them. I guess they could be used as cannon fodder in Ukraine.
@Oogly: That is just too much. Your emotions must be swinging like a 5 year old at a playground. I hope the school/job will give you a little time off; call in sick if they don’t. Because you are heartsick. Be selfish for a while — everything except mourning your grandmother and getting through finals is currently irrelevant. Try to eat well, and if you can’t, eat the healthiest comfort food you can.
I am so sorry and send an internet hug or tissues or whatever.
Caution: do not watch if you have had recent abdominal surgery.
RIP Petrodollar
1973 – 2022
https://www.vox.com/2022/12/10/23502903/chinas-saudi-arabia-united-states-relations-strain
If you thought things had been getting tumultuous before, with Trump and the 2020 protests and the 2021 coup attempt and everything, well … this will open Pandora’s box. “Whose will be the world reserve currency”, and all the advantages that go with that, is now up for grabs, and world wars have been fought over less.
As long as we’re talking about fantasy universes: While I probably wouldn’t mind living in Gynocentric Universe, given the option I’d much rather live in Everyone-Is-Bisexual Universe. Preferably not MÀ3treal, though, as it’s too full of self-absorbed idiots, and the rare straights are such doormats that they let themselves be coerced into short-lived same-sex relations.
@Snowberry – I wouldn’t mind visiting! At least to feel more understood sometimes (checks screen name – hmmm). Anyway, from what I remember of Ménage à 3, everyone acted pretty extroverted, right? The real Montreal has at least one antisocial bisexual – two, if my childhood-best-friend-whom-I-call-every-few-weeks doesn’t mind being characterized that way. 🙂
On topic, what struck me about the Griner case was the huge disparity in “crimes”: weapons trafficking vs. having some weed oil.
@Epitome
I’m surprised too. Normally the US government treats a black person caught with weed much more seriously.
@Surplus: Genuinely amusing. Nice minifig and overall LEGO work too.
@Full Metal Ox
@Gss ex-noob
Was able to get some delays. Hopefully I can pass exams despite it all.
@Oogly: Try to get some rest, even if you can’t sleep much. Make sure you’re properly hydrated and keep your vitamin C and B12 levels up.
Someday you will NOT look back on this and laugh, but you will survive it.
@Dalillama – For sure. I didn’t mean to imply the U.S. govt. is fair just because Russia’s isn’t. It’s just that seeing Griner compared with a weapons dealer was a bit surreal.
@Ooglyboggles – I’m so sorry about your grandmother and all the stress you’re going through. I wish you all the best with the exams. It’s tough when everything is piled on like that.
I’m also dealing with finals plus a health worry – itchy skin with temporary hives/rashes (not too dangerous probably, but it’ll be a hassle if it turns out to be gluten intolerance, which my aunt has).