By definition, I never heard of the WNBA star. And she is now more famous as a former Russian held prisoner than anything, forever connected with someone known as “The Merchant of Death” in what is perceived as a lopsided prisoner exchange.

Taking a step back it is not quite as bad as all that. The proma fade complaints run to — “imagine if the US government had traded for Osama Bin Laden!”. It is not exactly the same. Everyone knew Osama Bin Laden in the year 1999. I mean, I knew the name — if not as many particulars as a couple years’ hence. This ” Merchant of Death” has the wrong article in front of him. He is not “the” merchant of death. He is “a” merchant of death. Merchants of Death are a dime a dozen. He gets ascribed the “the” to fit the grand narrative of horrors.

I see in the commentary that I am officially a sexist or racist or part of a racist or sexist society and culture for thinking on some level, the woman had it coming. And for not really knowing who the heck she is. On my first question — “what the hell is she doing Russia? She knows there was wartime histilities percolating, right?” — I get an obnoxious answer. She is the victim of circumstances, they say (or, one jackass on CNN or The View), in having to play in Russia because the US market is not paying her enough — not caring to watch women’s athletic competition. The good news here is beyond a handful of big name players, I have no idea of current NBA stars either — and the only reason I know one of the names is because he is entertained Flat Earth conspiracy theories.

On the big “what about that other guy — still rotting in Russian prison!” — circumstantially I can almost go ahead with this defense: he, trained in the military, is more up to the challenge of surviving than she, trained in hoop playing. Triage — free the person less capable of psychological survival. He should be able to hold up — I guess.

There is an interesting irony. You may be better to be captured and forced into a North Korean sham trial and prison, in terms of the government freeing you without this hub ub. With North Korea we sent Clinton to stand and stare blankly in a photograph with their leader — it is all he wanted — to feel important. We got no leverage with Russia’s government. I mean, did you not hear there is a war going on?

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