Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters criticized U.S. President Joe Biden and defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s claim over Taiwan in a recent interview.
The English musician did not mince words as he responded to questions posed by CNN reporter Michael Smerconish about labeling Biden a war criminal during his “This Is Not a Drill Tour” concerts.
On his latest tour, Biden’s image is shown on giant screens with the message: “War criminal. Just getting started.”
“What’s that all about?” Smerconish asked.
“President Joe Biden? Well, he’s fueling the fire in Ukraine for a start, and that is a huge crime,” Waters replied. “Why won’t the United States of America encourage Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?”
When asked why he’s “blaming the party that got invaded,” Waters responded by saying the invasion was “about the action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border.”
To counter Smerconish’s point that the U.S. acts as “liberators,” Waters said: “You got into World War 2 because of Pearl Harbor. You were completely isolationists. Thank god the Russians had already won the bloody war by then. Twenty-three million Russians died, protecting you and me from the Nazi menace.”
The artist then urged the reporter to “read a bit more, and try to figure out what the US would do if the Chinese were putting nuclear-armed missiles into Mexico and Canada.”
Smerconish said that the Chinese are “too busy encircling Taiwan as we speak.”
Waters shot back with: “Taiwan is part of China. That has been absolutely accepted by the whole of [sic] international community since 1948. If you don’t know that you aren’t reading enough…. You are believing your side’s propaganda. You can’t have a conversation about human rights and Taiwan without actually doing the reading.”
“The Chinese didn’t invade Iraq and kill a million people in 2013,” Waters added when Smerconish said China was “at the top of the list” of human rights abusers. “Who have the Chinese invaded and slaughtered?”
“Their own,” Smerconish answered, apparently referring to Tibetans, the Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim groups who have reportedly been subjected to government detainment and abuse.
“Bullocks! That’s absolute nonsense! Absolute nonsense!” said Waters, before adding that Smerconish should “go away and read.”
The interview ended with the pair laughing as Smerconish called Waters a “troublemaker.”
Featured Image via CNN
