Radio War Nerd EP #380 — Pancho Villa & The Punitive Expedition

Maybe you guys know this already, but it came as a surprise to me that fentanyl "contamination" of various drugs is actually a feature, and when someone ODs, other junkies come running to buy whatever brand proved to be fatal. The optimal strategy for a sales-maximizing dealer would be to kill a user every now and then. (From Dopesick by Beth Macy.)

You're right. Will read.

Mark Ames

Thank you

Mark Ames

For god’s sake john - VEE-yuh

Dan Kolbert

When Republicans talk smack about bringing Plan Colombia to Mexico, they leave out the actual Plan Mexico that started under Bush -- the declaration of a new war on drugs in 2006 by Calderon, with massive US armament of Mexican anti-drug and military forces, setting off years of drug war, massacres, and what look to be many death-squad killings disguised as "cartel" fighting. Something like 100,000 killed. That's the lower end of a figure that's hard to estimate. You see a lot of numbers because the high general murder rate cannot easily be separated from drug business killings. This is what AMLO is trying to wind down!

Nicholas Levis

Great episode, and love to hear that about Sammy 🥹 I agree with other comments though that a whole war nerd treatment of the Mexican revolution is needed. Another thing you guys would do an amazing job with (if you haven’t already) would be a history of the bin laden family. and now that we have some hindsight, an evaluation of bin laden’s strategy regarding provoking the US to get them bogged down. China owes him a lot, they were able to make money and build infrastructure for 20 years while the us was distracted blowing up civilians in west Asia.

Josh

You should give John Reed a chance. Ten Days is quite good.

John

Like the song says, Twas better to die beneath an Irish sky, than at Suvla or Sud el Bar

Shane

If you have not seen "A Bullet for the General" go to your nearest cinema and inquire about a screening.

John Williams

Also called A Fistfull of Dynamite, but I like Duck, You Sucker! better. Greatest pissing scene in cinema right in the opener!

Also, the story about Sammy was really touching. Glad he's doing well.

George P

Oh damn there you go lol I listened thirty more seconds

(American spirit menthol

Fentanyl sucks you can't even do meth any more it's like when disco got so big every band had to make a dance album

(American spirit menthol

fantastic film, low key one of Leone's best

Rohmer Simpson

Wonderful, would love to see Porfirio Diaz discussed someday!

j

@john and mark, check out “Duck, You Sucker!” for the silver screen adaptation you seek!