▲ 93 ▼ "They've left me behind," American Paul Whelan says from Russian prison after failed bid to secure release (www.cbsnews.com) submitted 2 years ago by Rapidcreek@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world 37 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) That's fine. I just would not have spent political capital on Griner, either. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (1 child) At least that has some return on investment, that's if you're looking at it from the perspective of a politician. Though I do find it pretty hypocritical that he spent that capital freeing someone from a crime that he himself is perfectly fine sending people to jail for in America. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] derf82@lemmy.world -10 points 2 years ago (1 child) What return? WNBA fans are not exactly a huge group. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago (1 child) But you know who she is....... I'd say it's pretty self evident that it was fairly effective PR. Reality doesn't matter, politics revolves around perception and fabricating the PR story you want. "President saves famous female athlete from tyrant" is always going to be a net plus. The people who don't agree or perceive it in a different fashion are either votes you wouldn't win anyways, or people who don't care about it enough to vote for someone else because of it. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago (1 child) Eh, I really don't think many people are saying "I wasn't going to vote for Biden, but he freed Brittney Griner." And there are surely others who think Biden was wrong for trading an arms dealer for a WNBA "star." permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] Fades@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) [removed by mod] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent
[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago (1 child) At least that has some return on investment, that's if you're looking at it from the perspective of a politician. Though I do find it pretty hypocritical that he spent that capital freeing someone from a crime that he himself is perfectly fine sending people to jail for in America. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] derf82@lemmy.world -10 points 2 years ago (1 child) What return? WNBA fans are not exactly a huge group. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago (1 child) But you know who she is....... I'd say it's pretty self evident that it was fairly effective PR. Reality doesn't matter, politics revolves around perception and fabricating the PR story you want. "President saves famous female athlete from tyrant" is always going to be a net plus. The people who don't agree or perceive it in a different fashion are either votes you wouldn't win anyways, or people who don't care about it enough to vote for someone else because of it. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago (1 child) Eh, I really don't think many people are saying "I wasn't going to vote for Biden, but he freed Brittney Griner." And there are surely others who think Biden was wrong for trading an arms dealer for a WNBA "star." permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] Fades@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) [removed by mod] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent
[+] derf82@lemmy.world -10 points 2 years ago (1 child) What return? WNBA fans are not exactly a huge group. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago (1 child) But you know who she is....... I'd say it's pretty self evident that it was fairly effective PR. Reality doesn't matter, politics revolves around perception and fabricating the PR story you want. "President saves famous female athlete from tyrant" is always going to be a net plus. The people who don't agree or perceive it in a different fashion are either votes you wouldn't win anyways, or people who don't care about it enough to vote for someone else because of it. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago (1 child) Eh, I really don't think many people are saying "I wasn't going to vote for Biden, but he freed Brittney Griner." And there are surely others who think Biden was wrong for trading an arms dealer for a WNBA "star." permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] Fades@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) [removed by mod] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent
[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago (1 child) But you know who she is....... I'd say it's pretty self evident that it was fairly effective PR. Reality doesn't matter, politics revolves around perception and fabricating the PR story you want. "President saves famous female athlete from tyrant" is always going to be a net plus. The people who don't agree or perceive it in a different fashion are either votes you wouldn't win anyways, or people who don't care about it enough to vote for someone else because of it. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago (1 child) Eh, I really don't think many people are saying "I wasn't going to vote for Biden, but he freed Brittney Griner." And there are surely others who think Biden was wrong for trading an arms dealer for a WNBA "star." permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] Fades@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) [removed by mod] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent
[–] derf82@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago (1 child) Eh, I really don't think many people are saying "I wasn't going to vote for Biden, but he freed Brittney Griner." And there are surely others who think Biden was wrong for trading an arms dealer for a WNBA "star." permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] Fades@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) [removed by mod] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent
[+] Fades@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 child) [removed by mod] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent
[–] derf82@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago The moronic move was trading the Merchant of Death for a WNBA player. Tell me, what was gained by the trade? How exactly was it worth the political capital? How is Griner worth it but Whaelen is not? permalink fedilink source parent