Webb later agreed in an interview that there was no hard evidence that the cia as an institution or any of its agentemployees carried out or profited from drug trafficking. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drugfree. Aug 30, 2012 one of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. Conspiracy theories can often ring true the washington post. According to new york magazine, the contracocaine story smugly dubbed the last great conspiracy theory of the twentieth century started with the claim by crack kingpin ricky ross that he was working with a nicaraguan cocaine supplier, oscar danilo blandon, who had ties to the contras who, in turn, had ties to the cia. The majority of european crack cocaine users are located in three citieshamburg, london and paris. Behind the uproar is a threepart series, dark alliance, that. In the 1980s, a superpotent new form of cocaine swept through the streets of america, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Jones was charged with six counts of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and aiding and abetting, and one count of conspiracy to. The conspiracy theory about the cia being responsible for the cocaine epidemic arguably did more damage to the spirits of people who believed their government capable of this than to the cia itself. These claims have led to investigations by the united states government, including hearings and reports by the united states house of representatives, senate, department of justice, and the cias office of the inspector general. The federal governments impact on the crack epidemic in the district of colombia cutler fisher amst 3950w april 15, 2012 the term epidemic is typically used in relation to the spread of a disease however. Nov 29, 2019 first published by global research in july 2016 the heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the world including the caribbean that began in the early 1980s. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. The documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island cocaine base, the cias connection to the crack epidemic, the history of the cartels and their murderous tactics, the era of just say no, the negative effect of nafta, and the unlikely career of an almost famous midwest meth queen. Mar 17, 2016 heres a government employee, manufacturing the crack epidemic. First published by global research in july 2016 the heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the world including the caribbean that began in the early 1980s. But many dismissed webbs reporting as a conspiracy theory. Crack cocaine the great conspiracy to destroy the black male by the honorable minister louis farrakhan last updated. Blandon and meneses were said to have used their drug trafficking profits to help fund the contra armys war effort.
Their conclusions were distorted by repetition on the electronic grapevine into a fullblown conspiracy theory. Apr 03, 20 the ten most popular political conspiracy theories photo gallery by richard dunham on april 3, 20 at 8. Listen to the conspiracy theories episode the crack. Jun 12, 2019 the crack epidemic june 12, 2019 48 min in the 1980s, a superpotent new form of cocaine swept through the streets of america, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. At the same time, the reagan administration was doing business with drug traffickers all over latin america, and turning a blind eye to the chaos. Zootopia is a disney movie about adorable talking animals living in relative harmony. At least part of the general conspiracy has been proven true, what with both the cia and oliver north acknowledging that they knew cocaine was being smuggled into america by various paramilitary groups, and by proxy we can assume reagan knew.
The cia, afghanistans poppy fields and americas growing heroin epidemic. Apr 26, 2017 the documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island cocaine base, the cias connection to the crack epidemic, the history of the cartels and their murderous tactics, the era of just say no, the negative effect of nafta, and the unlikely career of an almost famous midwest meth queen. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. This article examines the metastory surrounding gary webbs 1996 dark alliance series as a moment of crisis in mainstream journalism. Zootopia is a metaphor for a wildly circulated race. A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack. In 1985, the number of people who admitted using cocaine on a routine basis increased from 4. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Contracocaine was a real conspiracy sagacious news.
If you want to stretch it to its logical conclusion, the government was involved in starting the crack epidemic, because it was this pipeline that did it. Government spread crack cocaine in the black ghetto, a recent headline said. Fourteen per cent of voters say the cia was instrumental in creating the crack cocaine epidemic in americas inner cities. Essay about the crack cocaine epidemic of the mid 1980s. To explain myself, ill have to get into spoiler territory. Mainstream media finally exposes cia drug trafficking.
Conspiracy theory no more the cia, afghanistans poppy. The cop said, no, thats that new type of coke crack. Some blacks suspect that the white establishment encourages or at least tolerates the epidemic of drugs and violence in black communities. Oct 10, 2014 in his report, webb who had won a pulitzer in 1989 for a different story claimed that the cia was partly responsible for bringing crack cocaine to the united states in the 1980s. A disney movie is explicitly taking the stance that members of the government introduced crack cocaine into black communities in order to sow discord and violence, then used the ensuing chaos to frighten the majority white population into obedience and ensure. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects within the african american communities of the inner cities by causing the increase of addictions, deaths, and drugrelated crimes. Crack cocaine was first introduced to the united states in the early 1980s, going on to become an epidemic with millions of users and contributing to. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. When the facts fail to align with beliefs or wants, people turn to fantasy, drawing from their imaginations to concoct hypothetical validations to support their thinking. Since the centers for disease control and prevention first reported the hivaids epidemic in 1981, rumors have persisted that the deadly virus was created by the cia to wipe out homosexuals and african americans.
Webbs series led to three federal investigations, none of which found evidence of any conspiracy by the cia or its employees to bring drugs into the united states. Maxine waters wondered whether there were possible machinations behind the crack epidemic that involved the u. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. In his report, webb who had won a pulitzer in 1989 for a different story claimed that the cia was partly responsible for bringing crack cocaine to the united states in the 1980s. In more extreme versions of the story circulating on talk radio and the internet, the agency was the instrument of a consistent strategy by the us government to. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis.
The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drug. Crack cocaine the great conspiracy to destroy the black male. Crack cocaine was first introduced to the united states in the early 1980s, going on to become an epidemic with millions of users and contributing to over 25,000 hospitalizations a year. I firmly believe that agencies within the us government, but not necesarrily with the knowledge and approval of the government, are importing heroin into the united states. One of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. The crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s paid apart to the health decline within the residents in communities such as harlem. The usage of cracks specifically within harlem resulted in lost of lives and violence among young african americans. The cia and the cocainecrack epidemic unknown binding january 1, 1993.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. The crack epidemic in washington dc 4036 words 17 pages. These drug purveyors were allegedly injecting the black community with crackcocaine and killing off the community. The heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the world including the caribbean that began in the early 1980s. But crack cocaine use has also been reported as a significant problem in three french overseas territoriesguadeloupe, french guiana and martiniqueand in some communities in the netherlands.
The charges of cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking were revived in 1996, when a newspaper series by reporter gary webb in the san jose mercury news claimed that the trafficking had played an important role in the creation of the crack cocaine drug problem in the united states. Theres a grain of truth to any conspiracy theory and it turns out there are a lot of grains of truth to this one. Dec 03, 20 according to new york magazine, the contracocaine story smugly dubbed the last great conspiracy theory of the twentieth century started with the claim by crack kingpin ricky ross that he was working with a nicaraguan cocaine supplier, oscar danilo blandon, who had ties to the contras who, in turn, had ties to the cia. The cdc reports that 165,000 americans died from prescription opiaterelated overdoses since 2000. Even sources who are routinely skeptical of the official line on the contras agree that the idea that the agency was behind drug smuggling by the contras is fantasy, journalist eliane shannon, who covered the war on drugs. A widely read newspaper series leads many americans to believe cia is guilty of at least complicity, if not conspiracy, in the outbreak of crack cocaine in americas inner cities.
Conspiracy theories thrive in a society that rejects objective realities. Alien reptile conspiracy at heart of murder trial baffles prosecutors. The crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Zootopia is a metaphor for a wildly circulated race related. Says it has found no link between itself and crack. Webb alleged that this influx of nicaraguansupplied cocaine fueled the widespread crack cocaine epidemic that swept several u. Crack was both a direct an indirect cause of excess morbidity and morality. Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. Affecting a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population. A complete history of crack cocaine march 28, 2018 substance abuse 0 comments crack cocaine, commonly shortened to crack, is a free base version of cocaine a drug that has been used in various forms in south america for centuries.
A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. How much do you really know about this new disney classic. Conspiracy theory poll results did anyone ask if the poll itself is a conspiracy. Now, im sure many of you know at least a few conspiracy theories involving the 1980s crack epidemic.
Amongst webbs fundamental problems was his implication that the cia lit the crack cocaine fuse. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies. Cia developed crack to kill off blacks the conspiracy blog. The ten most popular political conspiracy theories photo gallery by richard dunham on april 3, 20 at 8. Even today, the conspiracy theory has a number of highprofile believers. The ten most popular political conspiracy theories photo. Rodriguez and colleagues were getting a foretaste of the crack epidemic. I have no youtube videos or documents proving my theory. The cia and aids conspiracy theories printout time. My theory on meth and white trash conspiracies and cover. The film starts out introducing us to the world of zootopia, a land in which animals have evolved to the point that they form a society that functions in much the same. The crack epidemic coincidentally began around the same time when the irancontra scandal was being exposed. It started when webb wrote a series of three articles for the san jose mercury news in 1996 dubbed dark alliance.
The overall plot of zootopia bears a strong resemblance to a conspiracy theory about the invention of crack cocaine. The cia, afghanistans poppy fields and americas growing heroin epidemic timothy alexander guzman, silent crow news the heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the. Mar 28, 2018 crack cocaine, commonly shortened to crack, is a free base version of cocaine a drug that has been used in various forms in south america for centuries. The crack epidemic coincidentally began around the same time when the irancontra scandal was.
The overall plot of zootopia bears a strong resemblance to a conspiracy theory about the invention of crackcocaine. The crack epidemic dramatically increased the number of americans addicted to cocaine. Zootopia is a movie about adorable animals and crack cocaine. Behind the uproar is a threepart series, dark alliance, that appeared in the mercury news in midaugust. Contracocaine was a real conspiracy consortiumnews. Crack is a bioweapon by mark jacobson in 1996, san jose mercury news writer gary webb published a story saying that the cia was complicit in selling cocaine to l. Its also about crack cocaine and conspiracy theories. According to new york magazine, the contracocaine story smugly dubbed the last great conspiracy theory of the twentieth century started with the claim by crack kingpin ricky ross that.