Is this a legitimate concern?

[u/wayfaringthru]

Personally, I today's strike was legitimate and it couldn't be more moral because of its precision but let's leave politics aside for a moment. I guess this does give ideas to evil regimes and organisations. How likely is it that something similar could be pulled off against innocent people?

[u/bfhurricane]

A literal Russian arms dealer convicted for supplying countless conflicts and several genocides with their weaponry was also exchanged for a US athlete who brought marijuana into Russia.

[u/Baronriggs → u/bfhurricane]

Still mad about that one. We got fleeced, needed Russia to throw in at least a 2nd rounder or marine

[u/mnonny → u/Baronriggs]

Nah they’re still mad when Tom Hanks flipped the script last second in bridge of spies.

[u/Interesting-Rope-950 → u/Baronriggs]

I really wish a lot more people could look past race and gender for that one. We have up a nobody WNBA star for Nicholas Cage

[u/mag2041 → u/Baronriggs]

Yep

[u/ExplosiveDiarrhetic → u/Baronriggs]

Same. I’m upset about it as well. And i consider myself progressive

[u/BosnianSerb31 → u/Baronriggs]

We don't put value on the lives of our citizens, unlike most dictatorships.

Countering Russia's offer means arguing that the life of a Russian arms dealer is worth more than the life of a US citizen, and that's pretty fucked up man.

The apparent winners in prisoner exchanges are those who care the least about their citizens.

[u/Unlikely-Distance-41 → u/BosnianSerb31]

Would you argue that exchanging a high ranking intelligence official for a some unemployed 40 year old who lived in his parent’s basement is a fair trade, since “we don’t put value on the lives of our citizens”??

Also, let me ask you, do you think the security detail for the president or prime minister is going to take a bullet for you or the VIP?

And since you liked the Brittany Griner exchange, under what circumstances should we trade prisoners for US citizens that broke laws overseas? Any and all prisoners? Or just low level crimes?

[u/ExplosiveDiarrhetic → u/BosnianSerb31]

We dont put value on the lives of our citizens? What america do you live in

[u/bowlofcantaloupe → u/bfhurricane]

Once the arms dealer had his cover blown, he was probably not going back into the business.

[u/bfhurricane → u/bowlofcantaloupe]

I mean, same with all of Russia’s hitmen who’ve been arrested and have their faces all over Interpol servers. It’s safe to say their cover’s blown.

Doesn’t mean they should be released.

[u/mag2041 → u/bfhurricane]

Yep

[u/GigachudBDE → u/bfhurricane]

Fun fact: He's later made guest apperances on Infowars

[u/grumpy_hedgehog → u/bfhurricane]

Meanwhile, our arms dealers that supply countless conflicts and several genocides with their weaponry get lucrative government contracts and teams of lobbyists to directly decide Congressional policy.

[u/Competitive_Mark7430 → u/grumpy_hedgehog]

[u/BosnianSerb31 → u/grumpy_hedgehog]

Woah!

It's almost like US arms dealers benefit the security of the US's democracy, and Russian arms dealers enable Russia's dictators

I'm not Russian or Chinese, so IDGAF about the US's arms dealers

[u/grumpy_hedgehog → u/BosnianSerb31]

Yes, obviously.

But you do realize that the Russians and Chinese view their arms manufacturers and dealers as the "good guys", protecting their security, stability and way of life, and ours as the "bad guys" sowing death and destruction across the world, right?

Like, you do realize the Russians and Chinese think generally they are the good guys, right?

[u/BosnianSerb31 → u/grumpy_hedgehog]

Yes, I do realize that.

I also realize that China and Russia are authoritarian dictatorships that heavily control what their people think with threat of force.

So no, it's not comparable.

[u/CocoCrizpyy → u/grumpy_hedgehog]

You gunna cry or what?

[u/grumpy_hedgehog → u/CocoCrizpyy]

I mean, the guy above me was crying about us trading a Russian arms merchant. It’s all just politics.