If you have any interest in the Drug War, El Chapo, the legalization of marijuana, or our opioid plague, read this lengthy and fascinating expose in this month's Esquire magazine by Don Winslow, "El Chapo and the Secret History of the Heroin Crisis."
The American Promise: Free Refills
"When the little one finished his Fanta, he asked for another one. We normally don’t allow him to drink soda at all, but we thought, After all, it’s his first week in America, and he’s having a tough time in preschool. “No problem, sweetie,” I said, and went to the counter to order another soda. “It’s a free refill,” the counter worker said. I didn’t know what she meant, so she explained: we could fill up on soda from the machine as many times as we wanted, free of charge. I returned to the booth with a fresh Fanta and delivered the news. It was the first time since arriving in Illinois that we smiled as a family. “Refill” was the first word my toddler son spoke in English, and when I heard him say it I felt some small new hope about our prospects in America."
