Wednesday, January 26, 2011

If it was a movie, I wouldn't believe it.

I'm reading Dark Alliance: the CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion by Gary Webb and my mind, it is blown. This book is fascinating! It's not like I didn't already know about the CIA/Contra/drug thing but reading this makes me realize I didn't really know. Holy damn, it's hard to believe what people will do. One particular nougat of information that I have never once come across is that the crack epidemic was predicted by researchers well before it happened. These same researchers testified before Congress, requested research monies, and suggested ways to prevent the epidemic. They were ignored.


side note: I recognize some of the documented events from their appearance in The Power of the Dog.

2 comments:

  1. As I was reading the premise you laid out, I was thinking about THE POWER OF THE DOG. As you say, sounds fascinating. Thanks, Rachel

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  2. Michael, this book is so good! I think you would really enjoy it.

    Interestingly, I learned something else: a couple anecdotes were shared when the LA County Sheriff's elite force became part of the story. I'm always scoffing at how adult professionals in law enforcement are sometimes portrayed but it turns out some of them really do act like assholes stuck in 12yo mental states. I was chagrined and will no longer get quite so irked when I read it in fiction.

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