What a character Ken is! A definite George Jung vibe to him as in someone from back in the day doing the illegal shit but, also, coming across as a genuine good guy. Kind of like how pundits will sometimes question if a legendary football manager like a Brian Clough could ever exist in the modern game I can’t help but question if these old school American smugglers could exist in the modern narcotics game.
The plethora of ways that you can be caught now compared to back then would be enough to make the man’s head spin I imagine! And that’s just the one part of what makes it such a dangerous business to be in compared to decades ago.
This is in my wheelhouse. I was living my “security life” in the mid 70s through the 80s and into the 90s. I understood much of what he describes. Interestingly enough I made a very good living helping individuals cope with the effects of the lifestyle your interview described. As I told people wanting to get into my game, “you can’t have the same habits as your client”.
Loved this conversation and looking forward to reading his book.
Ahh, they really seem like the good old days and things seem darker now. Yes, I really enjoyed the conversarion; it was a different vibe than talking to narcos down here for sure!
Things are way darker now for sure. The old “cocaine cowboy “ vibe is gone I think. These drugs now are different. Happy to not be involved in that life anymore.
I really want to see that new ronald reagan movie and how will they reflect on his legacy. Growing up I always heard he was a cold war warrior and that he helped bring down the USSR lol. He kind of did in a way through operation cyclone in Afghanistan and with the Star wars program. Not to mention the chernobyl disaster also didn't help the soviet union. But alot of hardline Maga republicans now dislike reagan for his amnesty bill that gave thousands of illegals green cards. My parent's being one of them. Which is why my dad and mom remember reagan fondly lol. Also I'm curious how will they show the iran contra affair and his policy towards central America. And of course his handling of the aids epidemic. And the burgeoning crack epidemic of the 80s. I liked oliver stone's JFK, Nixon, and W so movies about presidents are always entertaining
I'll have to check out that movie. I was young when Reagan was president and bought up in a lefty household in the UK and we saw him as being the bad guy. Yet he became like the biggest hero for the Republicans and then even some liberals thought he was key in finishing the Cold War. It's interesting that some of Maga are now going against him, but then history is being disputed in a funny way in America. 80s were in an interesting time though...
And all those cheesy 80s teen age films like pretty in pink, ferris bueller, fast times at ridgemont high, karete kid, 16 candles the breakfast club etc
Yeah the 1980s was a pretty cool decade minus the cold war. Music, tv, fashion, but if course the cocaine boom was definitely a moral panic. And nothing personified 80s Miami more than Miami vice!. It made everyone in America want to be a narc lol
I remember watching Miami Vice as a kid and when I first heard them talk about aliens I thought it was like ET (we don't really use the term in British English...)
That's interesting because he was good friends with thatcher lol. Remember he did tell Gorbachev to tear that wall down!! It must have been weird living through the ladder cold war years and being relieved when the Eastern bloc collapsed. People must have thought good times were ahead boy where they wrong.
Your parents are absolutely right to detest Ronald Reagan. As governor of California, Reagan tried to destroy the United Farmworkers Union by allowing the importation of illegals from Mexico to break the Union. The growers were one of Reagan's biggest financial donors. Somewhere on YouTube there is a video of Cesar Chavez complaining to Walter Mondale on the San Diego border about the "wetbacks" and "illegals" brought into California to destroy the workers of his union. Chavez organized over 300 armed union members and stationed them along the border from Yuma to San Diego to make sure no illegal crossed the border. There were bodies found at the border. The growers in Central California sprayed their fields with pesticide while workers were in the field and the result was Central California for years had the highest rates of cancer in the world. Reagan's amnesty as president was for one reason only, cheap labor to destroy unions.
I also do not think that the movie argues, like I do, that Reagan was our first narco president.
What a character Ken is! A definite George Jung vibe to him as in someone from back in the day doing the illegal shit but, also, coming across as a genuine good guy. Kind of like how pundits will sometimes question if a legendary football manager like a Brian Clough could ever exist in the modern game I can’t help but question if these old school American smugglers could exist in the modern narcotics game.
Ha ha. Great comparison and so true. He wouldn't be able to handle these days I think - his days were a much kinder era.
Right on, man. That would be far out!
The plethora of ways that you can be caught now compared to back then would be enough to make the man’s head spin I imagine! And that’s just the one part of what makes it such a dangerous business to be in compared to decades ago.
Yeah, and the level of violence with the cartels now. Let's go back to the hippy era!
Another interview, another book to buy.
This is in my wheelhouse. I was living my “security life” in the mid 70s through the 80s and into the 90s. I understood much of what he describes. Interestingly enough I made a very good living helping individuals cope with the effects of the lifestyle your interview described. As I told people wanting to get into my game, “you can’t have the same habits as your client”.
Loved this conversation and looking forward to reading his book.
Ahh, they really seem like the good old days and things seem darker now. Yes, I really enjoyed the conversarion; it was a different vibe than talking to narcos down here for sure!
Things are way darker now for sure. The old “cocaine cowboy “ vibe is gone I think. These drugs now are different. Happy to not be involved in that life anymore.
I really want to see that new ronald reagan movie and how will they reflect on his legacy. Growing up I always heard he was a cold war warrior and that he helped bring down the USSR lol. He kind of did in a way through operation cyclone in Afghanistan and with the Star wars program. Not to mention the chernobyl disaster also didn't help the soviet union. But alot of hardline Maga republicans now dislike reagan for his amnesty bill that gave thousands of illegals green cards. My parent's being one of them. Which is why my dad and mom remember reagan fondly lol. Also I'm curious how will they show the iran contra affair and his policy towards central America. And of course his handling of the aids epidemic. And the burgeoning crack epidemic of the 80s. I liked oliver stone's JFK, Nixon, and W so movies about presidents are always entertaining
I'll have to check out that movie. I was young when Reagan was president and bought up in a lefty household in the UK and we saw him as being the bad guy. Yet he became like the biggest hero for the Republicans and then even some liberals thought he was key in finishing the Cold War. It's interesting that some of Maga are now going against him, but then history is being disputed in a funny way in America. 80s were in an interesting time though...
And all those cheesy 80s teen age films like pretty in pink, ferris bueller, fast times at ridgemont high, karete kid, 16 candles the breakfast club etc
Yeah the 1980s was a pretty cool decade minus the cold war. Music, tv, fashion, but if course the cocaine boom was definitely a moral panic. And nothing personified 80s Miami more than Miami vice!. It made everyone in America want to be a narc lol
I remember watching Miami Vice as a kid and when I first heard them talk about aliens I thought it was like ET (we don't really use the term in British English...)
My mom remembers liking George Michael's love ballad careless whisper. Very cheesy lol
Killer soundtrack though
It was fun watching tubbs and crocket blast at coke dealers lol. I wonder if being a cop in Miami was really like that then probably not
That's interesting because he was good friends with thatcher lol. Remember he did tell Gorbachev to tear that wall down!! It must have been weird living through the ladder cold war years and being relieved when the Eastern bloc collapsed. People must have thought good times were ahead boy where they wrong.
I hitch hiked to Berlin when I was 17 and picked up a piece of the smashed up wall - but then dumbly threw it away...
Knight rider was popular too lol
Sweet! You experienced history! David hassleoff was there when it came down lol.
Your parents are absolutely right to detest Ronald Reagan. As governor of California, Reagan tried to destroy the United Farmworkers Union by allowing the importation of illegals from Mexico to break the Union. The growers were one of Reagan's biggest financial donors. Somewhere on YouTube there is a video of Cesar Chavez complaining to Walter Mondale on the San Diego border about the "wetbacks" and "illegals" brought into California to destroy the workers of his union. Chavez organized over 300 armed union members and stationed them along the border from Yuma to San Diego to make sure no illegal crossed the border. There were bodies found at the border. The growers in Central California sprayed their fields with pesticide while workers were in the field and the result was Central California for years had the highest rates of cancer in the world. Reagan's amnesty as president was for one reason only, cheap labor to destroy unions.
I also do not think that the movie argues, like I do, that Reagan was our first narco president.
Interesting that Chavez was putting people on the border - shows the complexities of this issue...