Double AA club Podcast
Double AA club Podcast
EP: 84 Brittany Griner's Release and the High-Stakes Trade Showdown
What does Brittany Griner’s freedom cost and who pays the price? We kick off this episode of the Double A Club with a deep dive into the high-stakes exchange that saw the WNBA star walk free after 10 months in a Russian jail. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken orchestrated the swap, trading Griner for one of the most infamous arms dealers, Victor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death." As we unravel the details, we shine a spotlight on the stark inconsistencies in how America deals with drug offenses at home compared to its international negotiations. The conversation takes a sobering turn as we discuss Paul Whelan, a U.S. government employee still languishing in a Russian prison, and why his freedom seemed to take a backseat.
Before signing off, we reflect on the fairness and rationale behind such consequential swaps. Ny Boom and Big Doz urge you to stay engaged as we preview upcoming episodes, promising more riveting discussions and fresh perspectives. We’re eager for you to share your thoughts and ideas, ensuring these conversations remain as stimulating as they are important. Until next time, stay connected and keep those thoughts flowing. Peace out, fellas.
You are listening to the Double A Club and this is your host, ny Boom, and my co-host, big Daz. We'll be talking about trending topics in healthcare and basically, just as a disclaimer just to let the listeners know that this is just basically on our opinions and speculations and I hope you guys enjoy the show. Let's start off and kick off with our first topic.
Speaker 2:I'm going to bring up this thing. That's just a little weird in a way, if you think about it the situation with Brittany Griner, the WNBA basketball player. She went to Russia, oh guard. So Brittany Griner went to Russia and she, she brought with her a big cartridges that contained cannabis oil and that, and it was literally like I think less than that she got in the Russian jail and she was being sentenced to nine years. Yes, for weed oil, yes for cannabis oil. Yeah, that's petty. Go ahead Now. She has no criminal history and she has also.
Speaker 2:And a personal defender, yes, and she's also been there. She's an ambassador because she's helped the Russian women's basketball team develop in the sport. Okay, this is getting real interesting. And she actually was released 10 months into her sentencing. We get again into that because America had something to do with that. Wow, 10 months. So she did 10 months of hard time. Yeah, she only did 10 months of hard time. She should have said nothing, but yeah, I agree, the Secretary of State, anthony Blinken, and the Russian official, sergei Lavrov, were consulting about releasing Brittney Griner. Also included into this release was a US government employee by the name of Paul Wellen. Oh, paul.
Speaker 2:Welland, oh, paul Welland, now they were going to yes, they were going to exchange Paul Welland and Brittany Griner for a Russian arms dealer by the name of Victor Bout. Victor Bout smuggles weapons into Africa and the Middle East, and he aids terrorist organizations like the Liberian President, charles Taylor, who was convicted of war crimes during the Sierra Leone Civil War in 2012. This war destabilized the country and gain access to blood diamonds.
Speaker 1:Victor.
Speaker 2:Bout. Yes, victor Bout also supported Al Qaeda and Taliban and the Angola Civil War with weapons of mass destruction, and this is the man that we traded in for a lady that only put marijuana oil into the country. Yes, and you would never think of what his nickname is? Well, I think it would be something like fucking the death of something like some devil, or the bomb, the merchant of death? Yeah, that's his nickname. So you traded. You traded basketball power forward to send to whatever position she plays. Right, that is helping your country.
Speaker 2:That is helping also your country to develop their basketball skills in order for you guys to be at least a contender in whatever sport Olympics, however it goes, and your basketball future. And this is who I yeah, there was. There was definitely a motive there. And to make matters worse, you know saying they were, they were in talks for paul well and abriga grinder, but in the in the actual trade they only traded for reiner. Paul well is still in russia still doing hard time and Briner Paul Wellens is still in Russia Still doing hard time and he's a government agent, he's a government employee, he works for the United States and he's arrested in Russia. Yeah, he's arrested. Yes, he's arrested in Russia. That's nuts Like wow. And they were arrested at the same time. No, paul Welland was arrested way before her. He's been there for a couple of years already. Oh, wow. And they couldn't get him out?
Speaker 2:no, but we could get. But we could get Brittany Greiner out. But wait, what is he? What is he? A reporter is. He might go. What did he done? No, he's a government agent. He's a government agent. He's there. He's not a report, he works for the government. I don't know what he actually does. Yeah, that's why he does something important. They're probably torturing him, probably.
Speaker 2:I don't know Joe Rogan's podcast. He talked about this situation, right, and he brings up. He brings it up like he brings it up, like he brings up the idea of yeah, we released Brittany Griner. Yeah, you know, and all she did was all she had was cannabis oil, but then we in America still arrest people who have weed. What does that tell us? I mean, that is good, but I mean nowadays it's only a certain amount.
Speaker 2:Oh well, it depends on the state. It depends on the state. You can still get caught. You can get caught with a dime bag and you're going in. Yeah, but still think about it. Regardless, regardless of what state it is, regardless of what amount it is, I'm just saying regardless of what state it is. I said regardless, no, but just say regardless, regardless of the state, right, regardless, you know what I'm saying Whatever state it is, regardless of the amount of weed that you need to get arrested, right? Why the fuck are we releasing somebody for weed, for the same shit, and we're giving up the merchant of death? Yeah, yeah, I hate getting back. It's like you were saying, you know Like, I don. I agree with that. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, like.
Speaker 2:I don't really understand how this Now, like I would understand, I would actually understand the trade with the CIA agent over the, with the merchant of death, Like over, like. I can understand that more being of a fair trade, even though it's still not. But we can't say anything because I don't know what the CIA agent really does. But I could see that more of a reason of a trade than what did happen. As for me, I think is silly not saying that she, I'm not saying that she, I don't think she should have been arrested at all. That's why I think he's silly. I'm not saying that she, I don't think she should have been arrested at all. That's why I think it's silly. I think her arrest was just, it was retarded. You just make it. You're making a point with her.
Speaker 2:Yes they do. Now you know you want to hear something that's gonna really irritate you. Yeah, this is gonna irritate you. Ukraine was who's having the war with Russia right. Was in talks with Russia to release Was it. Russia. Russia to release was in Russia. Okay, I said Ukraine, who's in war with Russia, right, yes, what was trying to negotiate was actually not trying, but they negotiated with Russia to release 64 soldiers. Yeah, all right, to release 64 soldiers, yeah, alright, but the US can't release, but, but the US can't release.
Speaker 2:But the United States couldn't get Falwell out. Oh, they got those soldiers out. Wow, yeah, they released. They negotiated a prisoner swap of 64 soldiers. Wow, yeah, they really. They negotiated the prisoner swap of 64 soldiers. Wow, 64. I know, I understand. Yeah, that's great Shane. Yeah, that's a big. I think he's making his own name. Yeah, that's exactly what he's doing.
Speaker 2:This guy is ruthless. He's lying in front of people's faces. He don't give no fucks. Maybe we take him home. Means time to take it over with an iron fist. So all right, so let's get past this. You want to bring up this kid, this, this kid. His name is MC Abdul. The kid's around, I like to say between 11 to 14 years old, right, and I saw him on YouTube. He's a rapper and he has a couple videos and it's crazy because you know he's's rapping and he's actually a really good rapper. He's rapping in the streets of Palestine. You say he's rapping in the streets of Palestine. He's walking through the streets, right, and you could see rubbles like there's no, there's no houses, buildings, nothing. They're all like blown up to pieces. They're just I don't even know what to say like they. It looks like the 1960s Bronx. So then, yeah, and you know, in the water at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and one of the rhymes he's like talking about sleeping through bombs and protecting his sister living through four wars in his lifespan. Wow, sleeping through bombs and protecting his sister living through four wars in his lifespan Wow, that is, that's pretty fucking gangster. I can't even say anything about that.
Speaker 2:For real You're a tough motherfucker yeah and it just makes you think, like yo, some of these people live through this stuff. Like they live through this stuff, and we got John Morant here trying to be one. Yeah, you're right, it's sad. It's sad, alright. Well, let me end you off With this one thing. This is just American News. In November of 2022, it was reported that actress Denise Richards was Attacked in LA. Really, la is Gonna be like I don't know. La is something like there's so much drugs over there. People are evacuating LA. They're just leaving that place and it's just it's becoming a slum right now.
Speaker 2:Wow really yeah, it's bad, it's getting bad. Seattle also. Seattle's another one that's becoming bad, whoa. So the incident happened Denise Richards and her husband were driving to a movie shoot and I'm assuming that the husband didn't really know where he was going and he was trying to figure it out and I wasn't paying attention I don't know, but he wasn't paying attention and the driver the driver behind him was getting irritated and eventually, when the driver was able to pass them right you know, he got around them and drove, pulled up on him and was gonna drive past them and as he's pulling up on them, as he's pulling up on them, he takes out his gun and starts shooting at the car Wow. And then he drives off, takes off Wow, that is nuts. And then you wonder why people are leaving LA. That's bad.
Speaker 2:They got drive-bys now, yup. Drive-bys while driving. Yup, that's my matter. That seems bad, alright. Alright, that's the end of our podcast. Alright, check you guys next time.
Speaker 1:Hope you enjoyed thanks for listening to our show. This concludes our episode. And listen up to the next episode to follow up on what continuing topics and trends we have going on, and just to continue to listen to your boy, ny boom and co-host big doz, and listen to our points of views and and maybe you can add on to it if you want. But we'll catch you on the next one. All right, have a good one. Peace out, fellas.
