El Chapo: the drug dealing hero

Everybody loves an underdog, it doesn't really matter wether they are right or wrong, it's just fun to watch someone beat all the odds. El Chapo is by no means a good person, he is responsible for thousands of death (either directly or indirectly) and he is responsible for the drug addictions of even more people. He was (or is) the head of the largest drug cartel in the world, and the very same things that make him a criminal also make him an underdog. He goes against society, he does what he wants. Moral issues aside, anyone would love to be a respected drug dealer; they have huge houses on tropical islands, drive expensive cars and live a life (as short as it might be) in the greatest luxury. That's not even considering the adventure, if you happen to be into smuggling drugs across borders through secret tunnels. Well perhaps it's not something people would love to do, but it's definitely fun to read and imagine oneself in that situation.
The article is very straightforward when presenting El Chapo as a drug dealer, it doesn't try to justify the things he has done or lessen their importance, but it doesn't demonize him either. It just shows him as what he is, a human being, arguably a very bad one, but none the less human. The title, "The Hunt for El Chapo" would suggest that the storyline follows the marines who took him down, the heroes who finally managed to capture the world's most wanted fugitive, but it doesn't. Instead it follows him, where he lived and his clever devices, it's not as much the hunt as it was his escape. Only the fact that the narrative focuses on him turns him into an antihero.
It's exciting to read about, how he ran the jail from which he escaped, his secret tunnels and interconnected houses, it seems almost fake that one person could come up with all of this and manage to go so long without getting caught. It's impossible not to like him at least a bit, his elusiveness and inventiveness are appealing and even though he didn't use them for good, it's still impressive to read about him. It's definitely good to know that he has been captured, but oddly disappointing that he didn't get the chance to continue to play tricks and fool the people chasing him. Reading about him and forgetting that he is a real person can even be funny, an irreverent character who defies the institution and manages to outsmart them every time, or at least most of it.

In Patagonia

Patagonia, as evidenced by the protests regarding hydroaysen, is one of Chile's dearest national landmarks. Over the years it has become an important turistic attraction, particularly for foreigners looking for adventures and often times solitude (what could be lonelier than the end of the world?). This exotic sense usually also extends to the people living there, as can be seen in Chatwin's book, where the people he encounters seem to be just as important (if not more) as the landscapes. This is why it's easy to forget that for them it is also the year 2015.
It's easy to understand that someone reading In Patagonia would expect to travel there and encounter barren lands with little or no civilization, after all, that's the way it was when Chatwin travelled there. This is not the way it is now; which is not something to be considered good or bad but rather a simple observation. If traveling a couple weeks in Patagonia is hard and expensive, one can only imagine the difficulties of living there permanently, which is why technological advances (especially regarding communication) are always welcome.
While it is expected that wildlife parks should remain more or less intact, it's irrational to expect the people living in their vicinities to remain isolated. They are not part of the natural attraction and have as much of a right to be able to communicate and live like the rest of the civilization as the tourists traveling to the Patagonia. Chile is a developing country with and overpopulated capital, it's obvious that other cities will gradually begin to grow, along with people's needs.
The point is: Chatwin's book may be a a faithful description of what Patagonia was like thirty years ago  and an inspiring read for anyone wishing to travel there today, but to do so expecting to find the exact same abandoned landscapes and isolated inhabitants is foolish and borders bigotry. The world has gone through big changes over the last three decades, and the Patagonia, with all its wilderness and adventures, has been no exception.

Daniel Zamudio- the "wake up call"

In 2013, Daniel Zamudio was brutally beaten and murdered in a park because of his sexual preferences. He was 24 years old. Obviously, there was widespread shock in Chile, even those who weren't particularly accepting of homosexuality where shaken by the cruelty of the murder. Daniel was found in between some bushes with a broken leg, swastikas carved into his skin, and covered in urine. This event triggered many responses, resulting even in the passing of an anti-discrimination law to prevent something similar from happening ever again. 

It has now been two years, and although it's a reduced amount of time, it has allowed for at least some objectivity when looking back. A book called Perdidos en la noche (which translates to Lost in the night) analyzes the context within which the crime took place and reaches some very interesting conclusions. Although Daniel is evidently the victim, he is not the only one. All of those involved where also victims (yes, including the murderers) of miserable social conditions, of abusive families and extreme poverty, of denied opportunities. Had these young men been given the same opportunities as a high class kid attending a private school, it would've been very unlikely for them to commit that murder. Upon a first glance there is no doubt that they are the ones responsible, but upon further inspection, there is a whole society to be blamed for not handing this youth the necessary tools for life and condemning them to a cycle of poverty.

Although, to what extent does social injustice justify the horrendous crime? In my opinion, it does not justify it at all, but rather brings to attention other problems more deeply ingrained in society. What's done is done and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions (which they were, the main aggressor was sentenced to life in prison). The main point of jail is to protect society from dangerous people, if they happened not to know any better they should be taught better, but also do their time and learn that grave actions have grave consequences. Of course this calls to a whole process of reforming Chile's judiciary system and society in general. Prisons should provide an opportunity for learning and repenting, not for corruption, and an ideal society should provide it's members with enough opportunities and education so that they are able to distinguish between wrong and right. Of course all of this is wildly out of reach and probably won't happen within the lifespan of the vast majority of Chile.

Let the murder of Daniel Zamudio serve as a reminder not only of discrimination against minorities, but also of the deeper problems in our society that push people into a cycle of theft and poverty by robbing them opportunities that should be granted to them as a right by birth. This is not a problem that can be solved by creating a few laws, this is a matter of creating a profound and widespread change in the way our community works and thinks. 

The 25th Hour

Whenever something happens that disrupts the regular order or routine, it always comes along with a very intense existential questioning, sometimes working as a wake up call, reassuring or disproving previous values. When Monty is convicted, he triggers this questioning in all the people that are close to him, similar to the effect caused by the attack on the twin towers.
In the case of Monty, the most evident reaction is his wondering what could've been had he stopped drug dealing earlier, the life he could've had, all of this evidenced in his conversation with Frank at the club. Parallel to this illusion, there is a much more practical aspect to his personality and the need to have everything settled by the time he goes to jail. He gets Doyle a new home, settles (and ends) his business with the russian drug dealers, tries to convince Naturelle to live her life, basically, he puts an end to all the things belonging to his previous life in preparation for his time in jail. Monty's character shows an interesting dichotomy between dreaming for a life he can't have anymore and at the same time facing what needs to be done by separating himself from his feelings.
Meanwhile, Jacob, one of his best friends, seems to face important moral decisions regarding one of his students. He particularly questions what it is he stands for and the things he is willing to do, the bulk of moral questioning in the movie resides in this character. While at the club, he has trouble standing up to his student, which leads him to do things he normally wouldn't ever have done. Regardless, his moral crisis eventually leads him to reaffirm his values, staying true to what he portrays throughout the movie despite getting lost in the way.
Finally, there is Frank, who, compared to the other two, is the one who changed the most, or at least revealed the most about himself. He starts out as a cold character, someone who's full of himself and therefore doesn't really consider other people and their feelings, which can be seen especially when he goes out with Jacob. Although, as the movie goes on his outer shell begins to crumble beginning to show a much more fragile side to him, and also showing how much he cares about the people around him. The peak moment of this fragility is when Monty asks him to "make him ugly." At that point, all of the feelings that had previously been bottled up rush out, ending in frustrated tears and Monty getting beaten up. What's most important, though, is that Frank only starts beating Monty when he punches Jacob, which shows a significant change from the beginning, where Frank would bully and ridicule him in front of others, making it seem as if he didn't really care that much for Jacob.

Final Reflection: 9/11

I find that until know I had underestimated the real impact september 11, 2001 had on the world, perhaps because I was four years old when it happened and honestly all my memories are vague, and I'm not sure if I dreamed them up based on what I learned later or if I genuinely remember something. I was raised in a world the way it is today, I can't say I have felt a great change in the world during my lifespan. I know that the reason they take even your nail clippers at the airport is because of that horrible day, but for me it has always been this way. This doesn't mean that I don't care, but unlike people who shared their stories on the internet, I can only remember watching images of towers in my grandparent's TV, and again, this might've been only a dream.
Investigating about the topic has shed light on how 9/11 actually impacted the world I live in and therefore my life. Somehow, most of the things I have written about in this blog boil down to two airplanes flying into the world trade center. ISIS has grown and spread from the hate people feel towards the United States for invading their countries and bombing their territory. This is the reason why it was so important to capture Osama bin Laden, and why he was captured and killed with no trial, despite the fact that he is technically still human. This is the reason why there was a movie made about his capture, to rub it in the faces of all those who posed a threat to the United States (and I know there is a series of reasons why killing him was much easier, but the US is allegedly founded on a set of values which I personally find where transgressed when Osama bin Laden was killed and dumped in the sea).
Most of the wars going on today, if not all of them, stem from this sole act of terrorism. The worst part is that this is just what al Qaeda intended, they knew that one act of strategically placed violence could trigger years of violence, practically ensuring that there would be many wars and untimely deaths for the years to come. If it's not al Qaeda, it's ISIS, and it seems as if trying to stop these groups were like trying to clear a flooding house with a plastic cup. The disappearance of one group does not ensure that another will not rise even more powerful and with more hatred. In the end, violence can only provoke more violence and, although it's idyllic and perhaps even utopic, 14 years later might be enough to start looking for new solutions.

Psychology of the widespread reaction

The psychological damage caused by 9/11 had a profound impact on politics and foreign affairs in the United States, no doubt about it, and al Qaeda knew this better than anyone. After the Cold War there was an overall sense of relief, the Soviet Union disintegrated and it seemed as if there was no one big enough to take on the United States, but there was, and they weren't even that big, especially when compared to the Soviet Union. All it took was 19 men to cause horror, confusion, and fear even greater than what was felt during the Cold War, because the war was now going on in american soil. The fact that it was only 19 men is, to say the least, humiliating. How can the world's biggest superpower fail to stop less than 20 men from creating havoc and massive destruction?
This feeling triggered the beginning of the world as we know it today, everyone agrees that the horrific events of that day should never happen again. From the United States' particular point of view, it's also the humiliation that must be avoided, which also explains the vengeance streak that followed September 11, 2001. This was just what al Qaeda wanted, the US was forced into the middle east after receiving an attack where it hurts the most: national pride.

9/11 from the eyes of foreigners

After looking at reactions of the US, I decided to go even broader and look for reactions across the globe, which proved to be much more interesting and varied. Of course most posts show sympathy towards the United States and the tragic events that happened that day, but there was one from a palestinian woman who at the time was 11 who described how people went out to the streets to celebrate. She clearly states that she has since grown up and realized what a horrible even it really was, but she also explains the reasoning behind the celebrations. The United States had been aiding Israel for years with weapons that hurt (and continue to hurt) many palestinians. What happened in New York was something that palestinians lived everyday, they too had seen their friends and family die and suffer from injuries.
This serves as a reminder that violence and extreme acts of violence happen all over the world, and a lot more often than the media reveals. As horrible as it may sound, I can understand people celebrating in Palestine, it must be gratifying to watch your bullies being bullied, but this is not a solution. Tension in the middle east only increased in the following years and reassured the United States in their mission to target any country or terrorist group that they felt posed even a minor threat to the country.