Brittney Griner for the God of War? & Bolton Brags About Coups

In this episode, Alex starts by discussing how Joe Manchin has once again dampened Biden’s domestic hopes. Then he goes over a shocking interview on CNN between Jake Tapper and John Bolton. In the interview, Bolton said the quiet part out loud, directly bragging that he had been involved in several coups. Alex discusses how this is atrocious for the U.S.’s image abroad and will feed Russian propaganda. “It’s damaging to our efforts to advance and support democracy,” Stanford University-Hoover Institution scholar Larry Diamond said. “We have enough trouble already countering Russian and Chinese propaganda.” Finally, Alex discusses the case of Brittney Griner, the WNBA player who has been detained in Russia for apparently having a marijuana vape pen. She could face a ten-year prison sentence because marijuana is criminalized in Russia. Many think that she is a high-profile hostage and Putin intends to push for a prisoner swap. First, Alex is irritated about how the media and public figures in the United States are covering this issue. Many claim the Biden administration is neglecting her because she is a woman. This is wrong, this is a highly complex situation and Russia should be blamed not Biden. Second, Alex discusses that Viktor Bout, the guy who would likely be part of the prisoner exchange, is an atrocious arms dealer with the blood of thousands of people on his hands. This is a complex scenario with no great solution.