We are all glad that Britney is free. She seems to be a very sweet lady who truly meant no one any harm. (She was caught with less than a gram of cannabis oil. Nine years in a Russian penal colony for that?)
It is interesting, however, that we celebrate ourselves for freeing one American from a Russian prison while steadfastly holding two million Americans in bondage, ourselves. There are eight million people being held in prisons worldwide. America, which comprises only 7% of all Earth's people, commands 25% of its prisoners.
Why is America celebrating? How bad does America truly feel about imprisoned Americans? It reminds me of the Russian leader, Josef Stalin, who infamously said, "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is just a statistic."
Is that how America truly feels about its two million imprisoned men and women, and their families? It would seem so.
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The Merchant of Death is Free
Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer dubbed "The Merchant of Death," has been traded back to Russia for American basketballer, Britney Griner. He was serving 26 years for selling weapons to various nefarious groups involved in conflicts worldwide. In other words, he sold arms to bad guys.
Americans, as much as anyone, must know that one man's "bad guy" is another man's "hero." We helped arm Afghanistan's Mujahadeen in their war with Russia, and called them "freedom fighters." Twenty years later, we had to fight those same Afghanis. Then, we called them "bad guys."
Besides, "Merchant of Death"? Really? America deals more arms worldwide than any other entity on Earth. (And, our weapons are the best, i.e., the deadliest.) That must make us "Death's Emperor."
