Anybody seen Cartel Land?

kzizok
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kzizok
Ive skipped by this documentary a hundred times figuring it was another, in a long line, of re-hashed Mexican drug documentaries. Well, its not. Sure, it has some of that in it and it seems to only go that way in the beginning, but it changes directions quite a bit. What you think you know in the beginning changes in the middle, changes about 3/4 of the way, and even different to the end. Lets just say this, the lines become so blurred that Robin Thicke would even be proud. To me, the way the film goes, it lets you decide where your opinion falls and that may change about 1/2 dozen times. Like, you have a well entrenched opinion that you feel comfortable with, and then direction changes and you even begin to doubt yourself. Nonetheless, very interesting.

The only request I make is keep politics out of it, at least as far as big picture stuff. Plus, if you think you know what the film is about, without watching it to the end, your comments will probably be off base anyway. This is more of a human nature issue, at least to me.

Netflix
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akillerwombat
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akillerwombat 2/9/2017 10:13am
2/9/2017 10:13am
I really enjoyed it as well. It was a really new perspective / approach to documenting what is going on around the drug war / cartels and I think he did an amazing job of encapsulating all of the ideas of the various groups involved in a unbiased way.

Would for sure recommend it to everyone to watch.
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PalerBlue 2/9/2017 10:17am
2/9/2017 10:17am
kzizok wrote:
Ive skipped by this documentary a hundred times figuring it was another, in a long line, of re-hashed Mexican drug documentaries. Well, its not. Sure, it...
Ive skipped by this documentary a hundred times figuring it was another, in a long line, of re-hashed Mexican drug documentaries. Well, its not. Sure, it has some of that in it and it seems to only go that way in the beginning, but it changes directions quite a bit. What you think you know in the beginning changes in the middle, changes about 3/4 of the way, and even different to the end. Lets just say this, the lines become so blurred that Robin Thicke would even be proud. To me, the way the film goes, it lets you decide where your opinion falls and that may change about 1/2 dozen times. Like, you have a well entrenched opinion that you feel comfortable with, and then direction changes and you even begin to doubt yourself. Nonetheless, very interesting.

The only request I make is keep politics out of it, at least as far as big picture stuff. Plus, if you think you know what the film is about, without watching it to the end, your comments will probably be off base anyway. This is more of a human nature issue, at least to me.

Netflix
I heard the the guy who made this interviewed about it a while ago and thought I couldn't wait to see it then. And I forgot about it until now. Sounded like the guy took his life in his hands to make this, and it was worth it.

I will say that the only way of halting the supply of drugs, is to kill the demand. No demand and nobody can earn a buck supplying. So many victims - so few winners.
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GD2 2/9/2017 10:29am
2/9/2017 10:29am
It's a great documentary. I've only watched it once (in the theatre) though, so I should probably watch it again.
akillerwombat
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akillerwombat 2/9/2017 10:37am
2/9/2017 10:37am Edited Date/Time 2/9/2017 10:37am
PalerBlue wrote:
I heard the the guy who made this interviewed about it a while ago and thought I couldn't wait to see it then. And I forgot...
I heard the the guy who made this interviewed about it a while ago and thought I couldn't wait to see it then. And I forgot about it until now. Sounded like the guy took his life in his hands to make this, and it was worth it.

I will say that the only way of halting the supply of drugs, is to kill the demand. No demand and nobody can earn a buck supplying. So many victims - so few winners.
And as human nature has taught us – the demand for drugs will never go away. Be it booze, weed, coffee, etc. we as humans have always enjoyed exploring various states of our consciousness for various reasons. There is an interesting theory that massive explosion in the size of the primate brain that lead to the evolution of humans was because they were coming out of the forrest to eat magic mushrooms growing in the low lands.

That all said – the only way to slow down the violence around drugs in America (and Mexico) is to start legalizing certain drugs (which we have begun doing). As shown with moonshiners in the prohibition era you'll never get rid of the black market with legalization but it drastically reduces black market based crime, reduces the number of criminals, makes the government money, and forces people to create safer product.

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kzizok
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kzizok 2/9/2017 10:54am
2/9/2017 10:54am Edited Date/Time 2/9/2017 11:08am
The supply and demand point is obviously a good one. However, that is one of the blurry lines I was talking about. Hard to explain, but really the last 10-15 minutes you begin to even see that concept differently. What is unique, like said above, is these concepts aren't highlighted in the film, just part of the flow. The viewer is left to decide on their own. Very unique and thought provoking. I would even go as far to say go into it with preconceived ideas, I did and I would be surprised if very many dont at least think differently about it, as its left up to you to decide. At the very least, if you watch it all, and pay attention, you will be left thinking about it.

Yeah, if you watched once in the theater I think watching it again will be easier to see the subtle yet defining shifts.



FlickitFlat
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FlickitFlat 2/9/2017 2:38pm
2/9/2017 2:38pm
There is an interesting theory that massive explosion in the size of the primate brain that lead to the evolution of humans was because they were coming out of the forrest to eat magic mushrooms growing in the low lands.

I never heard that one before. Who was eating the mushrooms again?
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FlickitFlat 2/9/2017 2:43pm
2/9/2017 2:43pm
I never watched the documentary but I have a couple of thoughts. Supply and demand is always in play but demand it not the dominant deciding factor when it comes to drugs. I'm from a small town. There has always been drugs but not like it is today. When I was in HS, I wouldn't have been able to find heroin if I had to. Today it is obvious that it is many places and easily accessible. I don't know why people do drugs like that but I have to think if the carrot wasn't dangling in their face, they wouldn't go on a mission to search for and find it.
Motocross83 2/10/2017 6:14am
2/10/2017 6:14am
Agreed, very good documentary, couldn't recommend it more. There's some scary people out there.
vetmxr
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vetmxr 2/12/2017 9:24am
2/12/2017 9:24am
I don't see it on Netflix? Where would I locate this show?
Dtat720
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Dtat720 2/12/2017 10:48am
2/12/2017 10:48am
Crazy documentary. But validates the grievance people have with the government telling us to trust them, they are working with the mexican government to address the issue. Its been known for decades the mexican government is involved in the cartels. You cant work with them to stop it. They are it when it comes down to the nuts and bolts of it all
kzizok
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kzizok 2/12/2017 2:35pm
2/12/2017 2:35pm Edited Date/Time 2/12/2017 2:36pm
vetmxr wrote:
I don't see it on Netflix? Where would I locate this show?
Its on Netflix. Make sure you arent using a proxy, etc.



kzizok
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kzizok 2/12/2017 2:59pm
2/12/2017 2:59pm Edited Date/Time 2/12/2017 3:18pm
Dtat720 wrote:
Crazy documentary. But validates the grievance people have with the government telling us to trust them, they are working with the mexican government to address the...
Crazy documentary. But validates the grievance people have with the government telling us to trust them, they are working with the mexican government to address the issue. Its been known for decades the mexican government is involved in the cartels. You cant work with them to stop it. They are it when it comes down to the nuts and bolts of it all
That is what is different about this. Not only is the govt the cartels, but the cartels are also the people who fought against them. They are trying to protect themselves against themselves. That it is where the vigilantes come in but the govt targets them as being criminals too. So, then the vigilantes face punishment or make their group part of the official government that they were against, they become an official group fighting against the exact thing they stood for. In the mean time, said groups were also being infiltrated by the cartels themselves. Now you have official groups, made up of cartel people, who ousted the vigilante leaders and they resume drug production, and violence as an official government entity. Plus, they supply the demand that they have created within their own group. They demand what they supply, govern it to their liking, punish to their liking and absorb their enemies, to do the same in perpetuation. This happens in such a fashion that people dont even understand when they are changing sides as it is all so complicated. You never know if the tail is wagging the dog or the dog wagging the tail.
kzizok
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kzizok 2/12/2017 3:10pm
2/12/2017 3:10pm
newmann wrote:
Haven't seen it, but I did see the video of a cartel leader getting taken out by a minigun. Listen to that baby sing! https://youtu.be/T55b3v-fjJw
Haven't seen it, but I did see the video of a cartel leader getting taken out by a minigun. Listen to that baby sing!

https://youtu.be/T55b3v-fjJw
Wow!

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