Cocaine Cowboys: the Dark Side of the Decade
The 1980′s are often either abhorred or romanticized, depending on your perspective, as a time of relatively lax moral conduct, little thought towards political correctness and a hard-partying counter culture fueled by the widespread importation of cocaine into the United States. For those who wan’t to know precisely what the era of U.S. history in question entailed and the significant impact on and consequences for the individuals involved, Cocaine Cowboys, a 2006 documentary, centers around real life events, actual footage and first accounts, and can help to paint a clear picture of precisely the scale of the pandemic. Both educational and entertaining, the subject matter is certainly of cultural value, but be warned, the following films contain dialogue and imagery that may be disturbing to some and is not appropriate for individuals under the age of 18.Directed by Billy Corben, the film hones its focus in on Miami, referred to some as the Capital of the Caribbean, the city that quickly became the epicenter of cocaine importation in the United States. From the early days in which cocaine was brought in with relative ease resulting in few complications to the violent drug wars that plagued the city streets as conflicts arose amid power struggles, Miami quickly became a tropical Wild West, as bodies and cash stacked up at alarmingly similar rates. Cocaine Cowboys gives an inside look from the people involved in the illicit drug trade including those responsible for killings and high ranking members of the drug trade who helped to craft plans for importation.It may not be a particularly proud memory of our favorite decade, but the cocaine crisis that came to fruition as the decade progressed is an important part of its heritage. Many individuals may not have realized the severity of the issue at the time, or simply chose to ignore it, however, Cocaine Cowboys presents information and testimony in a light that is quite simply hard to make light of. In reality, the 80′s were a time in which many individuals were exposed to narcotics at an unprecedented rate. The after effects of such heavy trafficking can still be felt to this day, as the film illustrates exactly what occurred behind the scenes in order to secure the large amounts of imported drugs now so commonly associated with the time period.