Drug Dealing, Moms; Life as we know it

This chapter of the book really got me hooked. The previous two chapters were interesting but not quite eye opening or appalling as this one was. They seem to get progressively better. 

I quite enjoyed the comparison between drug running gangs and companies in most capitalistic societies. The breakdown of the gang fully resembled a normal company with the rank in file of the gang being the everyday worker who did not really get much say in the company, the street soldiers who are the local bosses and the leader being the regional supervisor. The hierarchy of power was exactly how I picture any company in the United States or the world works. I thought it was interesting saying how young white kids in suburbia imitate black drug dealers in the ghetto while the drug dealers imitate the white kids dads' in their business methods. The way the author showed the lineage between the three made me laugh at its truth. 

I couldn't believe how systematically gang organizations ran. It was very interesting to learn that no matter what type of business dealings, people in an organization conform to a certain type of operation in order to become efficient and successful. The people at the top of the organization or company benefits from most of the labor and profit the company makes by doing the least work. Management rules supreme among men. A leader will always be respected and people will accept poorer conditions if they like their leader or are willing to follow him. I liked the whole business dealing side of things in this chapter and the story of the graduate student being part of the crack gang was really cool I think. 

I was surprised that they let him go in the beginning and let him come back and ask all the questions and all that he did. It really helped to look into the world of drug running and being in a gang. I was flabbergasted to hear that the foot soldiers only worked for $3.30 an hour while the leader make upwards of 100k to 500k depending on which level they reside. 

I am very excited for the next chapter and cannot wait to read what topic is dicussed next. I really like this book now. This chapter was by far the most interesting thing I have read all semester for this class. 

-bluey