Negotiating With The Taliban.

[Admiral Yi]

A dude who deserted/defected whatever back in like '54.  He taught NK spies English and played the heavy in some propaganda films.  AFAIK North Korea just let him go (humanitarian grounds? illness?).

[Jacob]

A dude who deserted/defected whatever back in like '54.  He taught NK spies English and played the heavy in some propaganda films.  AFAIK North Korea just let him go (humanitarian grounds? illness?).

Ok.

So do you feel that with Bergdahl, the US should have ignored him until the Taliban got bored of holding him and let him go or killed him?

Does this opinion change if there was no doubt that Bergdahl had not deserted at all? Say - and this is far-fetched obviously - but he was on some sort of officially sanctioned activity away from the base but that is being kept hushed up for security reasons?

How about if he was captured due to foolishness of some sort, rather than deliberate rejection of his duty (i.e. rather than saying "fuck it, I'm leaving" and walking out, he was sleeping with a girl in the village or teaching someone English/ learning the local language as part of his on individual hearts-and-minds campaign and got nabbed)?

Basically, I'm trying to figure out whether it's an opposition to prisoner-exchanges generally or whether, and to what degree, the allegations against Bergdahl figures into this.

[Razgovory]

You don't need strong evidence he didn't.  You don't have strong evidence he did.

Strong enough at this point to where I'd need some strong evidence to the contrary to change my mind.

The leaked details of the report do not name him as a deserter, even that along with the alleged emails are second hand.

We don't even know what kind of report it was, and whether there were additional reports.  And I thought his father provided the emails for the Rolling Stone article, but I can't say for sure.

You can't say for sure and you don't know what kind of report it is, but that's strong enough evidence?  You can't be serious.

[Admiral Yi]

Basically, I'm trying to figure out whether it's an opposition to prisoner-exchanges generally or whether, and to what degree, the allegations against Bergdahl figures into this.

The allegations most definitely figure into this.

[CountDeMoney]

Actually, I take that back - your support in the past has not been tribally motivated, even if you are rather extremely ideological (which is not exactly the same as being partisan).

He hates Republicans.  That's partisan enough.

I want my Republican Party back.  Like the way Anne Rice fags are pissed that tweeners and soccermoms have coopted the vampire meme with that Twilight bullshit.  Until then, I will be anti-Republican.

[Razgovory]

Basically, I'm trying to figure out whether it's an opposition to prisoner-exchanges generally or whether, and to what degree, the allegations against Bergdahl figures into this.

The allegations most definitely figure into this.

Since the allegations most definitely figure into this, is a possible they are being trumpeted for political purposes?

[CountDeMoney]

He's full of excuses for Carter getting punked by Iran.

It was a complicated situation.   

[Admiral Yi]

Since the allegations most definitely figure into this, is a possible they are being trumpeted for political purposes?

"Trumpeted?"  Who's trumpeting the charges?  The guys in his unit?

And of course anything is possible.

[Jacob]

"Trumpeted?"  Who's trumpeting the charges?  The guys in his unit?

And of course anything is possible.

Capitol Media Partners was the PR firm that helped bring the story Bergdahl's disgruntled unit members to the media spotlight. The person who brought the story forward, Richard Grennell, is described (by his partner in the firm) as a "well known Republican" (former Bush official, served briefly as foreign policy spokesman for Mitt Romney) and is also, apparently, a Fox News commentator.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27688219

After that, of course, we have the various Fox news people speculating that special forces would have killed rather than rescue Bergdahl had they found him, and the talk show circuit doing its thing.

I don't know if you'd call that trumpeting or not, of course, but there certainly seems to be some focus involved in getting the story out.

[garbon]

Like the way Anne Rice fags are pissed that tweeners and soccermoms have coopted the vampire meme with that Twilight bullshit.

Yeah.

[Jacob]

The allegations most definitely figure into this.

Okay, fair enough.

So if, at some point or other when the dust settles, it is confirmed that yeah the guy walked off because he was sick of it all or had ideological objections or some such, then you'll feel that the guy should have been left to rot?

On the other hand, if it emerges that he did not desert at all (but rather did something dumb), then the people smearing his character for political advantage are scumbags (especially since it potentially affected his chance of coming home in one piece)?

If so, fair enough, though it certainly puts a lot of political pressure on the process of determining the circumstances of his capture.

It will make it interesting to hear his version of the story, once it emerges. Will he say "yeah fuck it, I did desert because I have moral objections!" Will he say "here's my sob story," and if so, will it be convincing?

[Admiral Yi]

So if, at some point or other when the dust settles, it is confirmed that yeah the guy walked off because he was sick of it all or had ideological objections or some such, then you'll feel that the guy should have been left to rot?

What do we know about his living conditions?  Has he been rotting for the last five years.

I would have been perfectly happy with a North Korea type deal, as I already said.  Taliban sends Lurch a text message, says "this guy is eating all our food, never does his dishes, says he wants to see his mom and dad, will you take him?"

On the other hand, if it emerges that he did not desert at all (but rather did something dumb), then the people smearing his character for political advantage are scumbags (especially since it potentially affected his chance of coming home in one piece)?

Don't get the bit about potentially affecting his chances.

If you're going to characterize anyone who objects to the exhange on the grounds of desertion as "smearing his character for political advantage," then it only seems fair to characterize people who support the exchange as "whitewashing his character for political advantage."

[CountDeMoney]

Hansmeister would've had his Taliban captors fired.  And then given a 78-slide PowerPoint presentation.

[Razgovory]

Hansmeister would've had his Taliban captors fired.  And then given a 78-slide PowerPoint presentation.

If Obama had gotten him back, Hans would have branded himself a traitor.

[Razgovory]

If you're going to characterize anyone who objects to the exhange on the grounds of desertion as "smearing his character for political advantage," then it only seems fair to characterize people who support the exchange as "whitewashing his character for political advantage."

Certainly the default assumption of a person is that they are not a criminal, or do you disagree?