I saw this post referring to the Rolling Stone article on Clay Roueche. They compared Clay to Pablo Escobar and it made me think about the Pablo Escobar story. My daughter just mentioned it last night while we were at an awesome little Mexican restaurant in Surrey.
Googling Pablo Escobar led me to the Ramon Milian story. Another CIA drug smuggler tied to Iran contra. He was considered Pablo Escobar’s right hand man. So here we have more drug dealers working for the CIA, betrayed by the CIA and serving life in prison for them just like Noriega. It’s all recorded in the Kerry committee. Frontiline has a video of Ramon Milian Rodriguez testifying at the Kerry committee. Felix Rodriguez was another one who worked for the CIA. It’s not that the war on drugs failed. It’s just that the CIA was on the wrong side of that war.
Although I hesitate demonizing the UN when it’s clear their violence was in response to the Hells Angels violence, I think prosecuting one without prosecuting the other is treason. I have heard of IHIT members claiming that everything was fine until they started going after the Hells Angels. All the small groups were much worse then them. That is so untrue. IHIT members who really believe that need a career change because they are on the wrong side.
Recently I heard a young choir sing a stunning remix of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida. Theirs was based on a German remix but they tweaked it a bit themselves. I hadn’t paid too much attention to the lyrics in the original Viva La Vida. All I knew was the line in the chorus that said For some reason I can’t explain I know saint Peter will call my name. It’s kind of a happy and positive tune.
This remix changed the words slightly and completely changed the mood and meaning. It starts of about when a person ruled the world and how he now sweeps the streets he used to own. It emphasizes that never an honest word was heard from his mouth when he ruled the world. Then concludes For some reason I can’t explain, I know saint Peter won’t call my name. Never and honest word was ever heard when I ruled the world.
It changes the happy and peppy song into something sad and thought provoking. Yet when you compare the lyrics with the original it makes more sense. The guy had lived a dishonest life. He knew that he wouldn’t be rewarded for a life of crime. Although I do consider myself a Christian I don’t support the born again delusion that people can live a life of crime and three cheers go straight to heaven. I think that idea mocks both God and Justice. Yes I am fully aware of forgiveness and redemption. I just think this born again delusion of living a life or rape, murder and crime then saying abracadabra and all is well is a doctrine of the devil not of God.
I have more compassion for Clay than I do for David Giles yet I am concerned that people don’t start idolizing the bad that Clay did. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Crack and crystal meth are horrible drugs. Slinging those evil drugs just so you can drive a new SUV is the epitome of greed. Everything that Confucius, Taoism and Zen teach against. When I think of the Coldplay remix, I think of David Giles. The fallen hobo clown who used to rule the underworld. Never and honest word was ever heard when he used to rule that underworld. For some reason I can’t explain I know saint Peter won’t call his name and that is very sad indeed. Anyone can change but we need to start. If we don't try no one can help us. It all begins with uttering an honest word. Facing the truth. That is the first step on the road to redemption.
