Cele
Whenever our president doesn’t like something, even if it is an inanimate object or an abstract notion, we declare War. It is the job of the diligent American history student to learn and differentiate between these mostly-unresolved conflicts. LBJ had a War on Poverty that has obviously eliminated any improprieties in our society. Bush launched the War on Terror which seems to be going great. In between these two jihads, President Nixon brought War on those substances we love to hate in public but snort behind closed doors, drugs.
No president since has declared this war won, which is pretty remarkable in this era of spin. This one just keeps on Truckin’. It’s almost as if America doesn’t have the resources to scour every corner of the globe for every one of the evil plants.
None of this should be a surprise for anyone who knows how much people who like drugs will do to get those drugs. Yet, it’s tough for even the most dedicated student to know the true story of the war on drugs. It’s a story that many in Latin America know all too well, a tale of American-led coups, death squads, and even CIA complicity in the drug trade. As part of this war, America, while not even approaching the stated goal of stopping the sale and use of drugs, committed heinous crimes we still don’t know about.
This is where Cele Castillo comes in. A former DEA agent, he spoke free of charge last Tuesday to an audience full of people who wanted inside information on this escapade. The brochure read, “CIA. Drug Running. Torture. Negroponte. Death Squads. Reagan/Bush Sr.” and we were all licking our lips for the type of knowledge that brings a sardonic smirk to your face when you hear warped Bush voters talk. There was a policemen posted in the audience to make sure we didn’t all go nuts and declare war on him and his kind.
Cele lived up to his billing, though. A round Latino man who said he only wanted to “educate the students,” he talked for more than two hours as fast as he could. He had realized early on in his service that something strange was going on, so he decided to start snapping pictures and keeping a diary.
He told of present-day Bush staffer John Negroponte urging the organization of death squads and the teaching of torture to counterrevolutionary forces. He remembered the actions of Oliver North, who gets to host an exciting Fox News show while his multitude of crimes go unpunished. And he certainly did not forget the well-known fact that the CIA used the Contras to introduce crack cocaine to LA.
If you don’t believe any of this stuff, just check into it. All the official documents are online in various places. Don’t let me be the one to educate you about it.
Besides, the facts and history of the war on drugs were not even the most interesting aspect of the presentation. Castillo informed us early in his lecture that he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he seemed to be speaking to us from some type of trench. He spoke fast because, he said, “I’m living on borrowed time.” He has determined that the Feds will be coming for him any day now, and he’s awake in his McAllen, TX trailer home at 5 a.m every morning. He knows from experience that 5 a.m. is when they come knocking at your door.
The most peculiar moment of the evening came when Cele asked himself the rhetorical question of what we should do to stop this injustice. He implored us to “lock and load a 30-round magazine.” Curiously, without missing a beat, the audience exploded into applause.
Later, during the question and answer session, Cele admitted that he wasn’t advocating violent revolution. I don’t think the audience was either. The queries coming from the crowd confirmed that these people are just looking for release from the various issues weighing on their minds. Very, very few people asked Cele about the war on drugs. Instead, they asked him about September 11th, massive voter fraud, and concentration camps possibly being built in New Mexico.
The night was a little disheartening this way. The audience wanted to group the war on drugs together with all the other theories they had on their minds. It was as if Cele’s story wasn’t juicy enough for them to contemplate.
For his part, Cele communicated a message of inspiration. He recommended that we read more, saying in his Rio Grande valley accent, “Instead of spending money on a 12-pack or a big mac, buy a book.”
That’s great advice. What we really need to do, though, is force all these perpetrators of human rights to come forward. John Kerry chaired the committee that confirmed the link between the CIA and crack cocaine, yet he’s as silent about that issue as he was when he voted for the war. Until we know all the details that are buried, the truth will be classified as a mere conspiracy theory.
No president since has declared this war won, which is pretty remarkable in this era of spin. This one just keeps on Truckin’. It’s almost as if America doesn’t have the resources to scour every corner of the globe for every one of the evil plants.
None of this should be a surprise for anyone who knows how much people who like drugs will do to get those drugs. Yet, it’s tough for even the most dedicated student to know the true story of the war on drugs. It’s a story that many in Latin America know all too well, a tale of American-led coups, death squads, and even CIA complicity in the drug trade. As part of this war, America, while not even approaching the stated goal of stopping the sale and use of drugs, committed heinous crimes we still don’t know about.
This is where Cele Castillo comes in. A former DEA agent, he spoke free of charge last Tuesday to an audience full of people who wanted inside information on this escapade. The brochure read, “CIA. Drug Running. Torture. Negroponte. Death Squads. Reagan/Bush Sr.” and we were all licking our lips for the type of knowledge that brings a sardonic smirk to your face when you hear warped Bush voters talk. There was a policemen posted in the audience to make sure we didn’t all go nuts and declare war on him and his kind.
Cele lived up to his billing, though. A round Latino man who said he only wanted to “educate the students,” he talked for more than two hours as fast as he could. He had realized early on in his service that something strange was going on, so he decided to start snapping pictures and keeping a diary.
He told of present-day Bush staffer John Negroponte urging the organization of death squads and the teaching of torture to counterrevolutionary forces. He remembered the actions of Oliver North, who gets to host an exciting Fox News show while his multitude of crimes go unpunished. And he certainly did not forget the well-known fact that the CIA used the Contras to introduce crack cocaine to LA.
If you don’t believe any of this stuff, just check into it. All the official documents are online in various places. Don’t let me be the one to educate you about it.
Besides, the facts and history of the war on drugs were not even the most interesting aspect of the presentation. Castillo informed us early in his lecture that he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he seemed to be speaking to us from some type of trench. He spoke fast because, he said, “I’m living on borrowed time.” He has determined that the Feds will be coming for him any day now, and he’s awake in his McAllen, TX trailer home at 5 a.m every morning. He knows from experience that 5 a.m. is when they come knocking at your door.
The most peculiar moment of the evening came when Cele asked himself the rhetorical question of what we should do to stop this injustice. He implored us to “lock and load a 30-round magazine.” Curiously, without missing a beat, the audience exploded into applause.
Later, during the question and answer session, Cele admitted that he wasn’t advocating violent revolution. I don’t think the audience was either. The queries coming from the crowd confirmed that these people are just looking for release from the various issues weighing on their minds. Very, very few people asked Cele about the war on drugs. Instead, they asked him about September 11th, massive voter fraud, and concentration camps possibly being built in New Mexico.
The night was a little disheartening this way. The audience wanted to group the war on drugs together with all the other theories they had on their minds. It was as if Cele’s story wasn’t juicy enough for them to contemplate.
For his part, Cele communicated a message of inspiration. He recommended that we read more, saying in his Rio Grande valley accent, “Instead of spending money on a 12-pack or a big mac, buy a book.”
That’s great advice. What we really need to do, though, is force all these perpetrators of human rights to come forward. John Kerry chaired the committee that confirmed the link between the CIA and crack cocaine, yet he’s as silent about that issue as he was when he voted for the war. Until we know all the details that are buried, the truth will be classified as a mere conspiracy theory.
posted by Tobias Salinger | 3:51 PM
1 Comments:
1. Watch "Why We Fight." I think its better than "Fog of War."
2. Watch "Weeds" on Showtime every Monday.
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