National Sovereignty Is A Thing
by Karl Denninger, Market Ticker:
Oh c’mon folks, this is not complicated.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner will appear in court Friday, more than four months after she was arrested in Russia for allegedly bringing vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis through a Moscow airport.
So what?
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
Assuming the cartridges really did contain cannabis, which she’s not denied the bottom line is this: As a sovereign nation Russia has every right to determine what can and cannot be possessed and brought into their country, and what the penalties are if you violate said laws. Period, end of discussion, full-stop.
I’ve traveled into other nations many times in my life. Not once have I taken into another country something that I knew, or had reason to believe, might be illegal. Never. I’m not that arrogant and recognize that the fundamental nature of international travel is that I’m a guest of the other nation with no right to be there and they have every right to set the boundaries upon which I am admitted and what I can do while I am there.
There are no exceptions to this. I made clear to my daughter when she started to travel that this was how it is when it comes to international travel and that breaking that set of rules may lead to very severe consequences, including being jailed, and that there’s nothing anyone can do about it if it does.
Simply put Griner thought she was “special” because of her status. It does not matter what the laws are in our country or her state of residence; when you enter another nation you follow their laws and if you don’t intend to do that then if you’re caught, and you might be, expect the consequences.
I have zero empathy or sympathy for her. Neither she or anyone on her side from a representational standpoint have denied that she was, in fact, in possession of material banned in Russia, and that her possession was not accidental — she knew damn well she had them with her and got caught.
All the bleating is, in fact, about her believing she is entitled to break the law of another nation because of who she is.
That’s the act of a child and, it appears, she’s going to pay for it.
Justly so.
