It is my position we are simply too immature, young, and intellectually disabled, as an organism, to know and that is one of my personal great regrets; I will never know, witness or comprehend the wondrous and fascinating truths about humans and our universe as we are still centuries, epochs, milleniums of evolution away. So, to that end, my resolution:
Resolved, Kill yourself because the world holds no knowable meaning.
Resolved, if you don't kill yourself, accept there is no inherent meaning and create and personalize meaning for your unique individual.
Resolved, CutTheCrackJack's meaning is to procreate, doing his part to furthering the human experiment.
Resolved, CutTheCrackJack's meaning is to investigate life with an eye for observation, in an effort to advance human understanding, through business.
Resolved, CutTheCrackJack's meaning is to to participate and add (hopefully, meaningfully) to the human conversation with original creations of art, music, literature, or otherwise.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Apology of a Litterer
A man told me the other day a story of how he yelled at a guy and almost got in a fight because the stranger threw a cigarette butt out of his car onto the earth.
Firstly, I think it is weird that someone would want to beat someone up for littering, but I guess it happens. Do you want to beat people up for speeding and cheating on their taxes too?
Secondly, I am reminded of why when I litter, as I am wont to do, I look around and try to engage people in eye contact while I do it. I've noticed that you pussies who bark the loudest rarely return the gaze of a wild animal throwing Dr. Pepper cans and loose papers/receipts out of a moving or stationary vehicle.
Further, I look at it like this: Yes. It is against the law. If I get caught by a policeman I will quietly and quickly take my lumps and my ticket. Otherwise, like any other law, if a citizen wants to step in, they have to learn that a) they have no authority (leave your moral authority bullshit in your Good News Bible study group) and b) they should be prepared, if they are going to escalate matters, for whatever may happen when fucking with someone who obviously doesn't give a shit about social mores and environmental sensitivities.
Lastly, I am a little man. Like Wolfe's protagonist in Bonfire of the Vanities, I fancy I am the master of my universe and am delusional and of small intellect. These faults render me disabled to the point where I am always in a hurry to get somewhere for some obligation or purpose. I inappropriately value my time and resources (in my world, they are scarce) and I try to give to myself and my immediate family the most of what I have and what I am. In doing all these things, I sacrifice your "greater good" and utilitarianism by sometimes littering, most of the time texting/emailing/talking while driving, and all the time speeding.
Because I am a little man, it is the burden of you men of ideals and ability (at least, to hear you tell it) that you should pity, not hate, us litterers.
Firstly, I think it is weird that someone would want to beat someone up for littering, but I guess it happens. Do you want to beat people up for speeding and cheating on their taxes too?
Secondly, I am reminded of why when I litter, as I am wont to do, I look around and try to engage people in eye contact while I do it. I've noticed that you pussies who bark the loudest rarely return the gaze of a wild animal throwing Dr. Pepper cans and loose papers/receipts out of a moving or stationary vehicle.
Further, I look at it like this: Yes. It is against the law. If I get caught by a policeman I will quietly and quickly take my lumps and my ticket. Otherwise, like any other law, if a citizen wants to step in, they have to learn that a) they have no authority (leave your moral authority bullshit in your Good News Bible study group) and b) they should be prepared, if they are going to escalate matters, for whatever may happen when fucking with someone who obviously doesn't give a shit about social mores and environmental sensitivities.
Lastly, I am a little man. Like Wolfe's protagonist in Bonfire of the Vanities, I fancy I am the master of my universe and am delusional and of small intellect. These faults render me disabled to the point where I am always in a hurry to get somewhere for some obligation or purpose. I inappropriately value my time and resources (in my world, they are scarce) and I try to give to myself and my immediate family the most of what I have and what I am. In doing all these things, I sacrifice your "greater good" and utilitarianism by sometimes littering, most of the time texting/emailing/talking while driving, and all the time speeding.
Because I am a little man, it is the burden of you men of ideals and ability (at least, to hear you tell it) that you should pity, not hate, us litterers.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tea Party in Absurd Sharp.
I spent a listless afternoon in Downtown Dallas the other weekend. After a few hours of roaming the streets I happened upon a charmingly dilapidated Greyhound station and seeked out the cleanest, dirty bench which happened to sit next to a wall of metal lockers, not much unlike those nostalgic fortifications one thinks of when recalling Grand Central Station. As I sat, quiet and lost in myself, a man approached me and whispered in my ear,
"Why do you hate the Tea Party?"
"Why, I don't like them for the same reason I don't like roaches and rats and spiders. The Tea Party is full of dirty, poor and not very intelligent people and, while I am singularly bigger than any one of them, in large numbers (and with a modicum of power) they scare the shit out of me because left alone in their environment I would be eaten alive."
To which a black man interjected, as he ran across the room to entreat with scorn, "And that's very liberal of you, isn't it?"
"But", I replied, "I meant that in the metaphorical sense. You see, I have nothing against grimy people from the gutter, as I can and have had to wear that hat, but I find only the ignorant masses banding together in numbers scary."
A hooker took a long draw from a bent up Black & Mild, blew the sour smoke out of two crusty nostrils and said, incredulously, "I cannot believe you are serious."
"Of course, harlot. I mean, the question is why I, specifically, hate the Tea Party. While I concede it to be an emotional answer, it remains one that is personal and unique to me and what drives me to "hate" them."
The black men, stymied by my answer pulled up on his gait, reared back his head and, in an effort to save face, brayed, "So you just hate poor people, no matter the political background? I can respect that."
"I don't hate poor people, I hate ignorant people. Unfortunately for them, however, being poor and middle class usually begets ignorance and mediocrity, which I absolutely despise. So yes, I have contempt for the general poor. Although note," and at this, I turned my attentions to the man who first approached me and spoke ever so lightly into my ear, "Exempted are those self-aware and deliberate fools who live a "poor" life due to a personal philosophy, like the rejection of materialism or the rejection of wealth and wealth generating activities, borne after a thorough and healthy inventory of what they value- to be poor is the only condigned, and desired, result."
The black man thought about this for a second. He tilted his curly, gray mane and said with a big grin, "I'm just messin with you Jack! But now that you mention it," and at this he tried to hide his earnest, "so since so many minorities are poor or middle class, you calling them ignorant and mediocre?"
"I think you are kidding, but to be frank, the majority of non-Asian, non-athlete minorities are ignorant and mediocre. That is why they are disproportionally represented in categories like Household income, jobs, employment, schooling, higher Ed, crime, etc., and, as I recall, that is why we have things like affirmative action."
He winced and stood staring at me. Drool crept to the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, his old, ashy ears pricked up at the mention of "John Wiley Price" and he trotted off in that general direction.
I watched him go in admiration. "That honest son of a bitch." I laughed.
"Hey asshole."
The lady, thin from a deficiency of vitamins or food or penis, looked me straight in the eye and her yellow orbs, framed by the smeared oils usually found on a baseball diamond, held my gaze and with it, my attention. She spoke with the weight of self-assumed shame, "I am sorry you hate me without knowing me. I hate no one unless they have specifically wronged me. You are very tolerant. I assume you lean left on a lot of issues. I find it hypocritical the very left wing who prides themselves on being tolerant and accepting of others often are in practice the least tolerant people."
"There are exceptions to every rule, my sexy friend. I once knew a guy who had a pet spider that he kept in a cage and I've even heard of people that like snakes crawling all over them!
But, please don't paint me as tolerant or liberal; I'm neither. Rather, I'm supercilious and ugly. I resent the averageness that I possess and, in addition to my resistance and fear of being Great, I really, really hate the beautiful idiots who are the Tea Party because it is they who hold a mirror to my person and mock me.
But, what do I know? Nobody ever said I was a great thinker of my day and my best friend has been sitting on the bench on the other side of this station and he won't even look over in our direction, much less talk to me."
The man who tickled my ear left.
"Why do you hate the Tea Party?"
"Why, I don't like them for the same reason I don't like roaches and rats and spiders. The Tea Party is full of dirty, poor and not very intelligent people and, while I am singularly bigger than any one of them, in large numbers (and with a modicum of power) they scare the shit out of me because left alone in their environment I would be eaten alive."
To which a black man interjected, as he ran across the room to entreat with scorn, "And that's very liberal of you, isn't it?"
"But", I replied, "I meant that in the metaphorical sense. You see, I have nothing against grimy people from the gutter, as I can and have had to wear that hat, but I find only the ignorant masses banding together in numbers scary."
A hooker took a long draw from a bent up Black & Mild, blew the sour smoke out of two crusty nostrils and said, incredulously, "I cannot believe you are serious."
"Of course, harlot. I mean, the question is why I, specifically, hate the Tea Party. While I concede it to be an emotional answer, it remains one that is personal and unique to me and what drives me to "hate" them."
The black men, stymied by my answer pulled up on his gait, reared back his head and, in an effort to save face, brayed, "So you just hate poor people, no matter the political background? I can respect that."
"I don't hate poor people, I hate ignorant people. Unfortunately for them, however, being poor and middle class usually begets ignorance and mediocrity, which I absolutely despise. So yes, I have contempt for the general poor. Although note," and at this, I turned my attentions to the man who first approached me and spoke ever so lightly into my ear, "Exempted are those self-aware and deliberate fools who live a "poor" life due to a personal philosophy, like the rejection of materialism or the rejection of wealth and wealth generating activities, borne after a thorough and healthy inventory of what they value- to be poor is the only condigned, and desired, result."
The black man thought about this for a second. He tilted his curly, gray mane and said with a big grin, "I'm just messin with you Jack! But now that you mention it," and at this he tried to hide his earnest, "so since so many minorities are poor or middle class, you calling them ignorant and mediocre?"
"I think you are kidding, but to be frank, the majority of non-Asian, non-athlete minorities are ignorant and mediocre. That is why they are disproportionally represented in categories like Household income, jobs, employment, schooling, higher Ed, crime, etc., and, as I recall, that is why we have things like affirmative action."
He winced and stood staring at me. Drool crept to the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, his old, ashy ears pricked up at the mention of "John Wiley Price" and he trotted off in that general direction.
I watched him go in admiration. "That honest son of a bitch." I laughed.
"Hey asshole."
The lady, thin from a deficiency of vitamins or food or penis, looked me straight in the eye and her yellow orbs, framed by the smeared oils usually found on a baseball diamond, held my gaze and with it, my attention. She spoke with the weight of self-assumed shame, "I am sorry you hate me without knowing me. I hate no one unless they have specifically wronged me. You are very tolerant. I assume you lean left on a lot of issues. I find it hypocritical the very left wing who prides themselves on being tolerant and accepting of others often are in practice the least tolerant people."
"There are exceptions to every rule, my sexy friend. I once knew a guy who had a pet spider that he kept in a cage and I've even heard of people that like snakes crawling all over them!
But, please don't paint me as tolerant or liberal; I'm neither. Rather, I'm supercilious and ugly. I resent the averageness that I possess and, in addition to my resistance and fear of being Great, I really, really hate the beautiful idiots who are the Tea Party because it is they who hold a mirror to my person and mock me.
But, what do I know? Nobody ever said I was a great thinker of my day and my best friend has been sitting on the bench on the other side of this station and he won't even look over in our direction, much less talk to me."
The man who tickled my ear left.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
People always want to besmirch and dismiss Rand because of her simple message and how it appeals to the middle class, the fat part of the 'smart people with an iota of ambition' bell curve.
As people- I'll go ahead and assume everyone I run with, with the exception of those who have probably tapped out their god-given and/or environmentally-given potential (an honorable thing)- As people who are beyond that, as learned men of commerce and trade and men of ability and experience, we can sometimes get defensive. Like a food snob who is offended by the ignorance of the uninitiated, with their shitty palates and ill breeding, we sometimes need to be reminded that we were 19 once, too.
I've been meaning to post in advocacy of Rand and her works, so here is as good a time as any.
On Atlas Shrugged Haters:
Having read the book, I get the hate. I really do. Rand romanticizes certain values (as is her prerogative with AS being a work of literary fiction, mind you) and oversimplifies the benefits of particular behaviors. It has the predatory feel, at times, of being solely written to manipulate the youth of which it targets and purportedly empowers- those with just enough knowledge and understanding of life for it to be dangerously sterile. How so, you ask? With respect that if one was to end life’s investigation with a short sighted and stunted philosophy like Objectivism, one would be castrating their selves of their analytical-right and critical-thinking-left testicle.
However, what the self appointed protectors of economic, literary, and social integrity, like our vociferous business-hipster friends who write belittling and scalding critiques (or pithy, dismissive quips, as Shaggy is want to do), fail to realize is that they are discrediting their position by engaging in tu quoque. Instead of stepping over the shit on the ground they scoop it up, wheeling around with it in their bare hand telling anyone who will listen to beware the shit.
Much like Tim Tebow, the very fact that Rand inspires so much passion and distaste from people who can't help but dolefully bemoan her merit, my position in favor of AS’s right to exist solidifies.
Besides, in the Fall of 2002 I fondly remember thinking I was a pretty tough cookie reading that bad boy between classes in the West Mall and I don't want to revise that!
As people- I'll go ahead and assume everyone I run with, with the exception of those who have probably tapped out their god-given and/or environmentally-given potential (an honorable thing)- As people who are beyond that, as learned men of commerce and trade and men of ability and experience, we can sometimes get defensive. Like a food snob who is offended by the ignorance of the uninitiated, with their shitty palates and ill breeding, we sometimes need to be reminded that we were 19 once, too.
I've been meaning to post in advocacy of Rand and her works, so here is as good a time as any.
On Atlas Shrugged Haters:
Having read the book, I get the hate. I really do. Rand romanticizes certain values (as is her prerogative with AS being a work of literary fiction, mind you) and oversimplifies the benefits of particular behaviors. It has the predatory feel, at times, of being solely written to manipulate the youth of which it targets and purportedly empowers- those with just enough knowledge and understanding of life for it to be dangerously sterile. How so, you ask? With respect that if one was to end life’s investigation with a short sighted and stunted philosophy like Objectivism, one would be castrating their selves of their analytical-right and critical-thinking-left testicle.
However, what the self appointed protectors of economic, literary, and social integrity, like our vociferous business-hipster friends who write belittling and scalding critiques (or pithy, dismissive quips, as Shaggy is want to do), fail to realize is that they are discrediting their position by engaging in tu quoque. Instead of stepping over the shit on the ground they scoop it up, wheeling around with it in their bare hand telling anyone who will listen to beware the shit.
Much like Tim Tebow, the very fact that Rand inspires so much passion and distaste from people who can't help but dolefully bemoan her merit, my position in favor of AS’s right to exist solidifies.
Besides, in the Fall of 2002 I fondly remember thinking I was a pretty tough cookie reading that bad boy between classes in the West Mall and I don't want to revise that!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Draft
/tired draft
I think the problem, since that's what we are calling it on this thread, is that my generation (or, I guess, it could just be my contemporaries) doesn't give a shit about your feel good-debt free, secure, low standard of living-American Dream.
From the beginning we were raised to be consume. From the Saturday morning cartoon characters that Mattell and General Mills provided, we have grown up in the world of consumption and commercialization. A lot of us had to have Reebok Pumps, Girbauds, Jordan's, Tommy Hilfiger, and Polo's before we could even go to school, comfortably.
In college we didn't want to work because we needed to ensure that we had enough bandwidth to pull in B's and C's whilst pounding beers at the fraternity house or staying out all hours downtown with our weekly ration/allowance. We still needed a vehicle, though, to get around West Campus and by this time we required Burberry, Lacoste and Brooks Brothers.
Then we get into the real world and it is time to work. The idiots fell by the wayside in some shitty jobs and the intelligent ones realized how awful our first jobs were and had to cope with the sickness that, like heroin withdrawals, low pay dealt us. But, being that we have evolved into such greedy individualists, we we able to do some soul searching between dry heaves and shitting ourselves to investigate the world in order to ascertain the best movements. We are a very clever and resourceful bunch. surprisingly. We gauge what is working, what are the dead ends and then we calculate a plan on how to get the best job and how to be the best at it.
Then, once we get to be the best in breed, as was our destiny, we reap our just rewards- the right to be the alpha consumers we were raised to be. The ones a lot of you created.
We don't care at all about owning, free and clear, a nice brownstone in a neighborhood with a domestic vehicle that gets good resale value. We don't particularly give a shit about our retirement fund (fuck it, we'll work forever) and the idea that people once rallied around a single "American" framework of morality and values seems not only archaic and silly, but barbaric and uncivilized.
We will spend up to our income because, fuck it, we deserve it. Besides, we are fatalists and everything always works out in the long run. Hemingway had it wrong, we are the "Lost Generation" in a lot of ways.
But, even though I don't really believe what I just wrote, I think that there are fundamental problems and our culture, in some respects, is worse, but the whole "American Dream" thing is really annoying and tired and I can't wait for simpletons like slorch to die off. Not the real "greatest generation"ers, but the simple simon motherfuckers with just enough smarts to make them dangerous or, at least, obnoxious.
------------
What about those who say the American Dream represents being able to live a truly Epicurian life? Are they then living within their framework when they consume until they are full? Get hungry again and then look outwardly, again, to binge?
To live in a society that is absent of pain (and/or struggles)? Too weak and unsophisticated.
I want my sensory pleasures tiitulated from the word 'Go' and I will work towards being pleasured because, ulitimately, this world has no meaning and rhyme or reason. Work unto itself for reasons of morality and responsibility and 'the right thing' is egregious and insulting. If one were not endowed the ability to work or create for themselves the type of world they desire, then they have the recourse of hard drink and drugs. That is pretty merciful, if you ask me.
This Dream is decidely American because America is (perhaps, I should say 'Was') the best canvas to allow us to imbue our wants and desires with only the muted critique of a bunch of pussy traditionalists.
That's right, you guys who have it "right", you men of responsibility and reason (i'm looking at you xminus, xmins's parents, troph, etc.) are the American dolt's bitches. Name another country where the intelligent and strong (and dare i say fundamentalist's?) are so marginalized.
-------------
When I say you are marginalized, I mean powerless. At the mercy the desires and wishes of others.
We are a generation of the technology bubble, Social Security with no possiblity of a recoup, Cheap homes we dumped when payments inevitably went up, convenient bail outs (seriously, im about to just say fuck it on my student loans and just wait for that balloon to pop, why not?), and general shitdick tomfoolery as a guide.
I have very little faith that you honest and enterprising individuals are Masters of Your Own Universe and the controllers of the destiny you think you are. So, I (we?) live it up now.
Your version of the American Dream and the heroic life you have carved out for yourself (which you really seem to enjoy, btw, so there's always that to fall on) is not a testament to individual ability and moxy, but is contingent on the whim of others; specifically, the irresponsible and short sighted Alpha Consumers that I referenced earlier and those in power who manipulate the aforementioned majority. Maybe it isn't just America and it is a global thing, I don't know. But I think the perception is that in America with respects to wealth, jobs, and generally, power, the inmates are running the asylum, the guards are gaming everyone, and the reasonable voices are beaten into silence, save optimistic, happy and borderline braggadocios posts on internet forums and messageboards.
Doing all those wonderful things you referenced and then the next year being broke or possibly bankrupt sounds a lot like what I am saying, but maybe, and it's a good possibility, I'm just not capable of fully understanding all the details and in's-and-out's just yet.
I think the problem, since that's what we are calling it on this thread, is that my generation (or, I guess, it could just be my contemporaries) doesn't give a shit about your feel good-debt free, secure, low standard of living-American Dream.
From the beginning we were raised to be consume. From the Saturday morning cartoon characters that Mattell and General Mills provided, we have grown up in the world of consumption and commercialization. A lot of us had to have Reebok Pumps, Girbauds, Jordan's, Tommy Hilfiger, and Polo's before we could even go to school, comfortably.
In college we didn't want to work because we needed to ensure that we had enough bandwidth to pull in B's and C's whilst pounding beers at the fraternity house or staying out all hours downtown with our weekly ration/allowance. We still needed a vehicle, though, to get around West Campus and by this time we required Burberry, Lacoste and Brooks Brothers.
Then we get into the real world and it is time to work. The idiots fell by the wayside in some shitty jobs and the intelligent ones realized how awful our first jobs were and had to cope with the sickness that, like heroin withdrawals, low pay dealt us. But, being that we have evolved into such greedy individualists, we we able to do some soul searching between dry heaves and shitting ourselves to investigate the world in order to ascertain the best movements. We are a very clever and resourceful bunch. surprisingly. We gauge what is working, what are the dead ends and then we calculate a plan on how to get the best job and how to be the best at it.
Then, once we get to be the best in breed, as was our destiny, we reap our just rewards- the right to be the alpha consumers we were raised to be. The ones a lot of you created.
We don't care at all about owning, free and clear, a nice brownstone in a neighborhood with a domestic vehicle that gets good resale value. We don't particularly give a shit about our retirement fund (fuck it, we'll work forever) and the idea that people once rallied around a single "American" framework of morality and values seems not only archaic and silly, but barbaric and uncivilized.
We will spend up to our income because, fuck it, we deserve it. Besides, we are fatalists and everything always works out in the long run. Hemingway had it wrong, we are the "Lost Generation" in a lot of ways.
But, even though I don't really believe what I just wrote, I think that there are fundamental problems and our culture, in some respects, is worse, but the whole "American Dream" thing is really annoying and tired and I can't wait for simpletons like slorch to die off. Not the real "greatest generation"ers, but the simple simon motherfuckers with just enough smarts to make them dangerous or, at least, obnoxious.
------------
What about those who say the American Dream represents being able to live a truly Epicurian life? Are they then living within their framework when they consume until they are full? Get hungry again and then look outwardly, again, to binge?
To live in a society that is absent of pain (and/or struggles)? Too weak and unsophisticated.
I want my sensory pleasures tiitulated from the word 'Go' and I will work towards being pleasured because, ulitimately, this world has no meaning and rhyme or reason. Work unto itself for reasons of morality and responsibility and 'the right thing' is egregious and insulting. If one were not endowed the ability to work or create for themselves the type of world they desire, then they have the recourse of hard drink and drugs. That is pretty merciful, if you ask me.
This Dream is decidely American because America is (perhaps, I should say 'Was') the best canvas to allow us to imbue our wants and desires with only the muted critique of a bunch of pussy traditionalists.
That's right, you guys who have it "right", you men of responsibility and reason (i'm looking at you xminus, xmins's parents, troph, etc.) are the American dolt's bitches. Name another country where the intelligent and strong (and dare i say fundamentalist's?) are so marginalized.
-------------
When I say you are marginalized, I mean powerless. At the mercy the desires and wishes of others.
We are a generation of the technology bubble, Social Security with no possiblity of a recoup, Cheap homes we dumped when payments inevitably went up, convenient bail outs (seriously, im about to just say fuck it on my student loans and just wait for that balloon to pop, why not?), and general shitdick tomfoolery as a guide.
I have very little faith that you honest and enterprising individuals are Masters of Your Own Universe and the controllers of the destiny you think you are. So, I (we?) live it up now.
Your version of the American Dream and the heroic life you have carved out for yourself (which you really seem to enjoy, btw, so there's always that to fall on) is not a testament to individual ability and moxy, but is contingent on the whim of others; specifically, the irresponsible and short sighted Alpha Consumers that I referenced earlier and those in power who manipulate the aforementioned majority. Maybe it isn't just America and it is a global thing, I don't know. But I think the perception is that in America with respects to wealth, jobs, and generally, power, the inmates are running the asylum, the guards are gaming everyone, and the reasonable voices are beaten into silence, save optimistic, happy and borderline braggadocios posts on internet forums and messageboards.
Doing all those wonderful things you referenced and then the next year being broke or possibly bankrupt sounds a lot like what I am saying, but maybe, and it's a good possibility, I'm just not capable of fully understanding all the details and in's-and-out's just yet.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Mexico, Cartels, and Drugs, Oh My!
Mexico's Peculiar Institution:
An Overview of Mexico's Cartel Culture and a
Call for Those More Knowledgeable to Tell Me What You Know
Part I
I assume that everyone has at least some limited or vague awareness of the Drug Industry and how it relates to Mexico and our America. Being American's, we give this Mexican plight polite lip service by acknowledging the intensity and increasing brutality of it all, but if most are like me, we are (even while sharing a border, in Texas) disassociated and really haven't begun to care. I think that is a problem.
Do you remember how it feels like only those who were responsible enough to stay abreast of geopolitical issues and had the luxury and capacity of understanding and engaging in discussions of the world's topics (and I don't mean pissants like me who read The Economist on booze-filled road trips and knew the name but nothing else) knew who Osama bin Laden was before September 11, 2001?
I hope we all remember how engaged, civic-minded people were utterly powerless (and even more ignorant) to the whims and inner workings of Wall-Street and Big Banks before the shoe fell in 2008? Only a small sliver of our population with strong to very strong economic and high finance backgrounds and experience could understand and interpret it for us groundlings, and even then it was rough translation fraught with bias and agenda (no Sushi-homo)
It is my gut feeling that the meth lab of a country and the volatile chemicals that comprise the illegal drug trade, lead by its head chef, El Chapo, is going to blow up in our face and we are going to be "caught", like the aforementioned and as only we American’s can be, unawares.
Currently it seems that America's (and specifically us Texans) official stance is one of irresponsible content that the manufacturing, violence, corruption and destruction is, for the most part, contained to the Mexican mainland and American border towns. Our party line is often real, but most of the time fake, disgust followed by an inaudible truth, like a man who feigns sympathy but really is only grateful that he is not the recipient of bad luck or tragic circumstances. We read a headline, skip the bulk of the story and completely dismiss any effect or consequence it might have for us and before moving on with our day to day lives we think,
"Ohhh that really sucks to be them and have those issues, bless their hearts”
or
“They really need to control their state and people because if shit starts inconveniencing me, I am going to be pissed.”Or
“Fucking Mexicans. They are primitive and worse than barbarians, those manual labor motherfuckers,"
All of which underlines a clear lack of understanding to the depth and severity of the problem(s).
So with that said, I would like those in the know to chime in and make people (those who read this thread) aware of what is actually going on in Mexico. I think a lot of the problem is, much like the Mafia and Advanced Mathematics, it is hard to understand and follow once one moves past the basic principals and principles (he-he-he) and variables are added in an already illusive and faster evolving black market.
Part II
Let me back up for a moment and explain a bit of my motive and incentive. I am a man with little regard for “tradition” and “universal morality”. As such, I have considerably more freedom and space with which to exist and things outside of the lanes of normalcy and the status quo, while not always enjoyable, are very fascinating and intriguing to me.
Like the Pirates of Somalia, the dilapidation of a republic to that of a “Narco” state run by outlaws is so amazingly brazen that one would think it can only be the stuff of great literature and action movies. The fact that there are men who are so brutally powerful, rich and industrious and that these men risk their lives every day and share certain qualities of men we deem heroes- fearlessness, intelligence, and courage- I find their story compelling. Add to this a background of our modern era technology and weaponry and it’s downright absurd (and I am a sucker for the capital “A”, Absurd)!
Further, perhaps with a full and robust understanding of this complicated dynamic, we can get to the point where we can make educated assumptions and logical predictions on what will happen, how markets will react and what future opportunities, if any, are- like those handful of opportunistic, brilliant profiteers found themselves in (presumably, at least) when the banks started falling.
Part III
So this is what I know (and correct me where I am wrong or underdeveloped):
Currently, the Cartels that historically wreaked the most havoc are the Sinaloan Cartel, The Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, Beltran Levya Cartel, and Tijuana Cartel.
Table of Contents
The Tijuana Cartel- is basically defunct with the caputure/deaths of the Arrelleno Felix brothers (the family members of "The Godfather", the founder of Mexican drug trade "El Padrino"). This Cartel has a lot of cache and the name is prestigious, but those in the know say they are pussies and they fail to register as a big player these days.
Beltran Levya Cartel- The Beltran Levya brothers, while historically big time players and the pioneers who took the political corruption game to the next level, also represent a lame duck Cartel. Their better days are behind them and they are now only influential in being a minority member of a coalition.
Sinaloan Cartel- This is El Chapo's baby and the big dog on the block. They are the most ruthless and resilient. They have increasingly gone global and El Chapo has been consistently listed on Forbes list of top businessman or some shit.
Los Zetas- This Cartel started as a paramilitary/executioner wing of the Gulf Cartel (think La Costra Nostra's Murder, Inc). They splintered off and became a Cartel in their own right and are now lined up against their former parent, Gulf Cartel. These guys are the most likely will be an issue for Texas and her citizens.
Gulf Cartel- This is the one that most directly affects us as Texans. With the capture of the leader in 2008 (Osiel Cardanas, I think), there has been a power vacuum that has instigated a lot of the violence and brutality that we in Texas have heard about it. Because the area the Gulf Cartel ruled, Brownsville/Matamoros and the rest of "The Valley" is weak, it is volatile and a very real battleground for Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel all trying to gain an upper hand. If you have ever played Risk, think of Kamchatka, the country that is a weak gatekeeper that keeps getting defeated by a different army every turn.
The Mexican Government, Police, and Army- These people comprise the most corrupt "democratic" political system in the Modern Era. At every turn, there is some, if not a shit-ton, of involvement with any three of these entities that have helped cultivate and grow Mexico's Global Drug Cartel Corporation. Though sworn to serve nobly and serve the law and the people, because of abject poverty and destitution (and for some, a very human emotion of greed and desire for sensory pleasures), the more attractive and viable option for imperfect humans is to work, indirectly and sometimes directly, with the Narco's. There are dozens of examples of this, ranging from the high profile arrests of ranking officers to the the Boss of all Bosses, El Chapo's, inside job of an escape from prison.
Part IV
Some facts to help spur our discussion:
El Chapo and the Sinaloan Cartel is much more advanced and entrenched than any rebel guerilla government, republic or organization we have ever seen. In fact, El Chapo has basically gone global corporation on us; you can call it Sinaloa, Inc.
Consider these facts:
Uncovered recently in Canada was a “Super Meth Lab” (20 tons of meth, $700 Million street value) and a lab that produced 12,000 ecstasy pills an hour.
Chapo’s organization operates in every nation in Central America, from Guatamala to Panama.
In the key cocaine-producing countries of Peru and Bolivia, Chapo has already moved in on what had formerly been Colombian and Medellin turf. In fact, even in Colombia itself, Chapo is operating deep in Colombian territory.
Chapo has a huge interest in Argentina now as well, but not for Cocaine, for Meth. Ephedrine imports rose from 5 tons in 2006 to 28.5 tons in 2010 and recent raids in Buenos Aires revealed 23 of his Sinaloan “Super Meth Labs”.
Chapo has long ties to Asian nations, like China, India, Thailand and Vietnam where they obtained chemicals need to make methamphetamine. (Chapo allegedly imported heroin directly from Thailand, at one time, in order to distribute to the US which suggests that Mexico alone couldn’t keep up with the US demand. I think it is hilarious we are a bunch of junkies.)
Recently the new frontier for Chapo is West African nations and Europe’s mainland. Chapo has known dealings in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. And one can see why- Africa is attractive because it is a bad lands much like Mexico. Failed governments and rebel movements have made it easy for Chapo to gain a stronghold, get passports, and transport guns and drugs to Europe. The danger is evident, if Chapo can create a stronghold in shitty, bottom of the barrel third world countries, he could easily service a growing European demand for illicit drugs. He can easily replicate a Mexico: U.S. model with West Africa: Europe.
A Former DEA chief of Operations Michael Braun implied it the best: “Think of it this way: what the Caribbean and Mexico are to the US, West Africa is to Europe.” and he ominously warned after reports that Chapo had men training in Iran, “They’re staying in the same shady bars, sharing the same prostitutes, developing relationships today that will soon evolve from personal to strategic. In the foreseeable future corporate al-Qaeda will be able to pick up the phone and call corporate Sinaloa…”
Part V
Is America to blame? I added this part because invariably there are Mexican apologists who will allow that “Yes, Mexico is largely to blame But But But, what about America and her love of drugs? She deserves some of the blame too, that slut!”
America, indeed, loves its drugs.
The DEA estimates we spend $65 Billion dollars on illegal drugs, annually. The facts are:
$36 Billion on cocaine
$11 Billion on heroin
$10 Billion on marijuana
$5.8 Billion on methamphetamine
$2.6 Billion on all other drugs combined
(Anybody else find this surprising? I figured Marijuana and Ice would be higher than Heroin)
While this is a very real and true addiction that we harbor, to say that we, the consumer, are to blame for the provider’s free willed, and illegal, production and delivery of outlawed drugs is to rebuke reason and logic and to vouchsafe irresponsibility. The reality is, the problem is with Mexico. Mexico as a country has failed its people and everyone except the highest, most ceremonial and out of touch layers, like the President, is in on the business.
Because Mexicans, much like American’s, are feeling the sting of a failed Drug War, they are calling for an end to it and the PRI party, the party which largely created this Narco-culture, is a favorite to take back the presidency in 2012.
I will share with you some personal insight:
I grew up in a suburb with a lot of minorities. I saw (and participated in, I might add) my fair share of griminess and drugs. There are opportunities to be a part of movements like these and I’ve seen some of it live in a limited scope- the small time dealers who mostly work with friends to middle level players that deal in kilos. There is a very real opportunity to make a lot of money that otherwise would not be possible without a life time of experience, knowledge and hard work.
In my experience and opinion, what America has done a GREAT job of is in creating a disincentive and deterrence to drug dealing on medium to large scales. The consequences of the crimes, in most opinions, are far more severe than the gravity of the crimes and that instills a sense of fear and a general “fuck that” attitude.
After doing a cost/benefit ration analysis, I myself came to the conclusion that it would probably never be worth the potential consequences for me to engage in this activity and, as our society intended, I moved on to try and monetize what little value (skills and abilities) I can contribute legally. Luckily, I will always make, or have the opportunity, to make a decent living (at least, I think) so I will never feel the need to gamble with my life.
And this is where Mexico has failed its people and this is why, I argue, Mexico is a failed state. Mexico, through corruption and greed, has allowed for this to escalate to where it is now out of control. Mexican’s in a lot of areas have very little opportunity for comfort and happiness and, recently, no reasonable expectation to civil rights. It is basically one big New Orleans with a few exceptions and pockets of wealth and international sophistication. Mexico has broken its social contract with their people and we American’s wonder why they kill their countryman for $35?
Part VI
What am I missing?
What are the opportunities for an average to above average American, if any?
Do you think Chapo uses his own products?
An Overview of Mexico's Cartel Culture and a
Call for Those More Knowledgeable to Tell Me What You Know
Part I
I assume that everyone has at least some limited or vague awareness of the Drug Industry and how it relates to Mexico and our America. Being American's, we give this Mexican plight polite lip service by acknowledging the intensity and increasing brutality of it all, but if most are like me, we are (even while sharing a border, in Texas) disassociated and really haven't begun to care. I think that is a problem.
Do you remember how it feels like only those who were responsible enough to stay abreast of geopolitical issues and had the luxury and capacity of understanding and engaging in discussions of the world's topics (and I don't mean pissants like me who read The Economist on booze-filled road trips and knew the name but nothing else) knew who Osama bin Laden was before September 11, 2001?
I hope we all remember how engaged, civic-minded people were utterly powerless (and even more ignorant) to the whims and inner workings of Wall-Street and Big Banks before the shoe fell in 2008? Only a small sliver of our population with strong to very strong economic and high finance backgrounds and experience could understand and interpret it for us groundlings, and even then it was rough translation fraught with bias and agenda (no Sushi-homo)
It is my gut feeling that the meth lab of a country and the volatile chemicals that comprise the illegal drug trade, lead by its head chef, El Chapo, is going to blow up in our face and we are going to be "caught", like the aforementioned and as only we American’s can be, unawares.
Currently it seems that America's (and specifically us Texans) official stance is one of irresponsible content that the manufacturing, violence, corruption and destruction is, for the most part, contained to the Mexican mainland and American border towns. Our party line is often real, but most of the time fake, disgust followed by an inaudible truth, like a man who feigns sympathy but really is only grateful that he is not the recipient of bad luck or tragic circumstances. We read a headline, skip the bulk of the story and completely dismiss any effect or consequence it might have for us and before moving on with our day to day lives we think,
"Ohhh that really sucks to be them and have those issues, bless their hearts”
or
“They really need to control their state and people because if shit starts inconveniencing me, I am going to be pissed.”Or
“Fucking Mexicans. They are primitive and worse than barbarians, those manual labor motherfuckers,"
All of which underlines a clear lack of understanding to the depth and severity of the problem(s).
So with that said, I would like those in the know to chime in and make people (those who read this thread) aware of what is actually going on in Mexico. I think a lot of the problem is, much like the Mafia and Advanced Mathematics, it is hard to understand and follow once one moves past the basic principals and principles (he-he-he) and variables are added in an already illusive and faster evolving black market.
Part II
Let me back up for a moment and explain a bit of my motive and incentive. I am a man with little regard for “tradition” and “universal morality”. As such, I have considerably more freedom and space with which to exist and things outside of the lanes of normalcy and the status quo, while not always enjoyable, are very fascinating and intriguing to me.
Like the Pirates of Somalia, the dilapidation of a republic to that of a “Narco” state run by outlaws is so amazingly brazen that one would think it can only be the stuff of great literature and action movies. The fact that there are men who are so brutally powerful, rich and industrious and that these men risk their lives every day and share certain qualities of men we deem heroes- fearlessness, intelligence, and courage- I find their story compelling. Add to this a background of our modern era technology and weaponry and it’s downright absurd (and I am a sucker for the capital “A”, Absurd)!
Further, perhaps with a full and robust understanding of this complicated dynamic, we can get to the point where we can make educated assumptions and logical predictions on what will happen, how markets will react and what future opportunities, if any, are- like those handful of opportunistic, brilliant profiteers found themselves in (presumably, at least) when the banks started falling.
Part III
So this is what I know (and correct me where I am wrong or underdeveloped):
Currently, the Cartels that historically wreaked the most havoc are the Sinaloan Cartel, The Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, Beltran Levya Cartel, and Tijuana Cartel.
Table of Contents
The Tijuana Cartel- is basically defunct with the caputure/deaths of the Arrelleno Felix brothers (the family members of "The Godfather", the founder of Mexican drug trade "El Padrino"). This Cartel has a lot of cache and the name is prestigious, but those in the know say they are pussies and they fail to register as a big player these days.
Beltran Levya Cartel- The Beltran Levya brothers, while historically big time players and the pioneers who took the political corruption game to the next level, also represent a lame duck Cartel. Their better days are behind them and they are now only influential in being a minority member of a coalition.
Sinaloan Cartel- This is El Chapo's baby and the big dog on the block. They are the most ruthless and resilient. They have increasingly gone global and El Chapo has been consistently listed on Forbes list of top businessman or some shit.
Los Zetas- This Cartel started as a paramilitary/executioner wing of the Gulf Cartel (think La Costra Nostra's Murder, Inc). They splintered off and became a Cartel in their own right and are now lined up against their former parent, Gulf Cartel. These guys are the most likely will be an issue for Texas and her citizens.
Gulf Cartel- This is the one that most directly affects us as Texans. With the capture of the leader in 2008 (Osiel Cardanas, I think), there has been a power vacuum that has instigated a lot of the violence and brutality that we in Texas have heard about it. Because the area the Gulf Cartel ruled, Brownsville/Matamoros and the rest of "The Valley" is weak, it is volatile and a very real battleground for Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel all trying to gain an upper hand. If you have ever played Risk, think of Kamchatka, the country that is a weak gatekeeper that keeps getting defeated by a different army every turn.
The Mexican Government, Police, and Army- These people comprise the most corrupt "democratic" political system in the Modern Era. At every turn, there is some, if not a shit-ton, of involvement with any three of these entities that have helped cultivate and grow Mexico's Global Drug Cartel Corporation. Though sworn to serve nobly and serve the law and the people, because of abject poverty and destitution (and for some, a very human emotion of greed and desire for sensory pleasures), the more attractive and viable option for imperfect humans is to work, indirectly and sometimes directly, with the Narco's. There are dozens of examples of this, ranging from the high profile arrests of ranking officers to the the Boss of all Bosses, El Chapo's, inside job of an escape from prison.
Part IV
Some facts to help spur our discussion:
El Chapo and the Sinaloan Cartel is much more advanced and entrenched than any rebel guerilla government, republic or organization we have ever seen. In fact, El Chapo has basically gone global corporation on us; you can call it Sinaloa, Inc.
Consider these facts:
Uncovered recently in Canada was a “Super Meth Lab” (20 tons of meth, $700 Million street value) and a lab that produced 12,000 ecstasy pills an hour.
Chapo’s organization operates in every nation in Central America, from Guatamala to Panama.
In the key cocaine-producing countries of Peru and Bolivia, Chapo has already moved in on what had formerly been Colombian and Medellin turf. In fact, even in Colombia itself, Chapo is operating deep in Colombian territory.
Chapo has a huge interest in Argentina now as well, but not for Cocaine, for Meth. Ephedrine imports rose from 5 tons in 2006 to 28.5 tons in 2010 and recent raids in Buenos Aires revealed 23 of his Sinaloan “Super Meth Labs”.
Chapo has long ties to Asian nations, like China, India, Thailand and Vietnam where they obtained chemicals need to make methamphetamine. (Chapo allegedly imported heroin directly from Thailand, at one time, in order to distribute to the US which suggests that Mexico alone couldn’t keep up with the US demand. I think it is hilarious we are a bunch of junkies.)
Recently the new frontier for Chapo is West African nations and Europe’s mainland. Chapo has known dealings in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. And one can see why- Africa is attractive because it is a bad lands much like Mexico. Failed governments and rebel movements have made it easy for Chapo to gain a stronghold, get passports, and transport guns and drugs to Europe. The danger is evident, if Chapo can create a stronghold in shitty, bottom of the barrel third world countries, he could easily service a growing European demand for illicit drugs. He can easily replicate a Mexico: U.S. model with West Africa: Europe.
A Former DEA chief of Operations Michael Braun implied it the best: “Think of it this way: what the Caribbean and Mexico are to the US, West Africa is to Europe.” and he ominously warned after reports that Chapo had men training in Iran, “They’re staying in the same shady bars, sharing the same prostitutes, developing relationships today that will soon evolve from personal to strategic. In the foreseeable future corporate al-Qaeda will be able to pick up the phone and call corporate Sinaloa…”
Part V
Is America to blame? I added this part because invariably there are Mexican apologists who will allow that “Yes, Mexico is largely to blame But But But, what about America and her love of drugs? She deserves some of the blame too, that slut!”
America, indeed, loves its drugs.
The DEA estimates we spend $65 Billion dollars on illegal drugs, annually. The facts are:
$36 Billion on cocaine
$11 Billion on heroin
$10 Billion on marijuana
$5.8 Billion on methamphetamine
$2.6 Billion on all other drugs combined
(Anybody else find this surprising? I figured Marijuana and Ice would be higher than Heroin)
While this is a very real and true addiction that we harbor, to say that we, the consumer, are to blame for the provider’s free willed, and illegal, production and delivery of outlawed drugs is to rebuke reason and logic and to vouchsafe irresponsibility. The reality is, the problem is with Mexico. Mexico as a country has failed its people and everyone except the highest, most ceremonial and out of touch layers, like the President, is in on the business.
Because Mexicans, much like American’s, are feeling the sting of a failed Drug War, they are calling for an end to it and the PRI party, the party which largely created this Narco-culture, is a favorite to take back the presidency in 2012.
I will share with you some personal insight:
I grew up in a suburb with a lot of minorities. I saw (and participated in, I might add) my fair share of griminess and drugs. There are opportunities to be a part of movements like these and I’ve seen some of it live in a limited scope- the small time dealers who mostly work with friends to middle level players that deal in kilos. There is a very real opportunity to make a lot of money that otherwise would not be possible without a life time of experience, knowledge and hard work.
In my experience and opinion, what America has done a GREAT job of is in creating a disincentive and deterrence to drug dealing on medium to large scales. The consequences of the crimes, in most opinions, are far more severe than the gravity of the crimes and that instills a sense of fear and a general “fuck that” attitude.
After doing a cost/benefit ration analysis, I myself came to the conclusion that it would probably never be worth the potential consequences for me to engage in this activity and, as our society intended, I moved on to try and monetize what little value (skills and abilities) I can contribute legally. Luckily, I will always make, or have the opportunity, to make a decent living (at least, I think) so I will never feel the need to gamble with my life.
And this is where Mexico has failed its people and this is why, I argue, Mexico is a failed state. Mexico, through corruption and greed, has allowed for this to escalate to where it is now out of control. Mexican’s in a lot of areas have very little opportunity for comfort and happiness and, recently, no reasonable expectation to civil rights. It is basically one big New Orleans with a few exceptions and pockets of wealth and international sophistication. Mexico has broken its social contract with their people and we American’s wonder why they kill their countryman for $35?
Part VI
What am I missing?
What are the opportunities for an average to above average American, if any?
Do you think Chapo uses his own products?
Monday, May 9, 2011
An Attempted Love Poem
An Attempted Love Poem
By Jonathan Gonnet
A father sat down to write to his wife and his child, to catalog his extreme care
With a pompous gait
And a feverish rate
He planned to pen his love affair
He looked all around
And the absence of sound
Lent a smug sense of self congratulation
He built this home,
And now seated in his throne,
He deigned to bestow, upon his wife, his validation
So he thought ‘what to write?’ and he conjured up times, both of struggle and jubilation
As head of the house
With all the credit he'd douse
Until, suddenly, he had a realization
He undertook this task
As he often did in the past
In selfish error and with the wrong seed of thought
His idea, born in a self-righteous fit
Where he marveled at his wit
What good is sharing his love and the emotion with which he is fraught?
Like the uncomfortable light that shines brightest at dawn
He understood and he awoke clear
Before them both there was fear and nothing but beer (ha!)
Without them, on this earth, he'd be gone
But, I had it all wrong
As if I could buy happiness for a song
I am not some hero, some bastion of love or even (yet) a great man of importance
I am short with my patience,
My temper and stations
But in her I enjoy this, and more, in abundance
Basically everything I have is because of my two special people
We overcome strife
My son and his mother -together- my life
A visual reminder of faith like a church steeple
It's a Mother's devotion
Not some magic potion
Who keeps us tacked from feet to sole (soul) like the cobbler’s
Her ungrateful and daily obligations
Thankless hard work and frustrations
Overlooked both by her 2 and 28 year old toddlers
Her great capacity to love, evidenced all around by what we earlier saw
There's no sound; she changes my son when he's wet
The home I live in is clean, because of her sweat
I can blabber and slobber, and bluster but I won’t hem and haw:
You see, I have to come clean
I was the father attempting to write how much Brex and You mean
I could write a thousand pages for each individual thank.
But, because all that you do with the love you give to us two,
Compared to you, my paper is blank.
By Jonathan Gonnet
A father sat down to write to his wife and his child, to catalog his extreme care
With a pompous gait
And a feverish rate
He planned to pen his love affair
He looked all around
And the absence of sound
Lent a smug sense of self congratulation
He built this home,
And now seated in his throne,
He deigned to bestow, upon his wife, his validation
So he thought ‘what to write?’ and he conjured up times, both of struggle and jubilation
As head of the house
With all the credit he'd douse
Until, suddenly, he had a realization
He undertook this task
As he often did in the past
In selfish error and with the wrong seed of thought
His idea, born in a self-righteous fit
Where he marveled at his wit
What good is sharing his love and the emotion with which he is fraught?
Like the uncomfortable light that shines brightest at dawn
He understood and he awoke clear
Before them both there was fear and nothing but beer (ha!)
Without them, on this earth, he'd be gone
But, I had it all wrong
As if I could buy happiness for a song
I am not some hero, some bastion of love or even (yet) a great man of importance
I am short with my patience,
My temper and stations
But in her I enjoy this, and more, in abundance
Basically everything I have is because of my two special people
We overcome strife
My son and his mother -together- my life
A visual reminder of faith like a church steeple
It's a Mother's devotion
Not some magic potion
Who keeps us tacked from feet to sole (soul) like the cobbler’s
Her ungrateful and daily obligations
Thankless hard work and frustrations
Overlooked both by her 2 and 28 year old toddlers
Her great capacity to love, evidenced all around by what we earlier saw
There's no sound; she changes my son when he's wet
The home I live in is clean, because of her sweat
I can blabber and slobber, and bluster but I won’t hem and haw:
You see, I have to come clean
I was the father attempting to write how much Brex and You mean
I could write a thousand pages for each individual thank.
But, because all that you do with the love you give to us two,
Compared to you, my paper is blank.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
