Convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout gave an eye-opening interview to Russian state media RT upon his release from a US prison after 11 years. The man referred to as the “merchant of death” was imprisoned for dealing arms to war-torn African nations such as Liberia. He is blamed for the deaths and radicalization of tens of thousands of people, if not hundreds of thousands, around the world. His release garnered international attention because of its nature. He was “swapped” for an imprisoned American citizen – a WNBA basketball player named Brittney Griner. Griner was locked up in Russia for attempting to bring hash oil in vape cartridges through a Russian airport.
Viktor Bout gave his post-prison RT interview in English and in Russian language. One of the first questions he was asked, in English, was if he hated the United States. This is a fair question after serving 11 years in prison for an offense that he maintains he was wrongfully convicted of. Bout says that he does not hate the United States. In fact, he feels empathy for a nation that was once the standard for the world and is not quite that way anymore. Some would look at that answer as anti-American propaganda directly from the Kremlin. Others have been saying such things loudly for a long time in order to change them.
Another issue Bout raised was the proliferation of drugs in American society. He says that drugs ruin people because their drive to achieve anything is taken away from them. This is an objectively true statement. The leading cause of death for adults aged 18-45 in the United States is opiates… namely Fentanyl. Combine that with electronic Fentanyl in the form of social media apps like TikTok, and it is not hard to grasp what role drugs and distractions have played in the destruction of the country. Drugs have always been a scourge upon people dating all the way back before the Opium Wars in China. Some would say that China is currently exacting its revenge on the west by flooding the United States with opiate-producing chemicals and TikTok.
SOURCES:
Arms Dealer Bout Praises Putin, Backs Ukraine Assault – The Moscow Times
Video: Expert calls out ‘bizarre’ comments by Viktor Bout on Russian TV | CNN Business
Viktor Bout reveals what he said to Brittney Griner as the two met on the tarmac during their exchange | The Independent
Viktor Bout says he wished Brittney Griner luck during prisoner swap – The Washington Post
