The Iran-Contra affair made stars out of then President Ronald Reagan, then C.I.A. chief and future POTUS George Bush and Oliver North. All three walked away for the most part without a scratch, despite playing major roles in a crime that involved gun and drug trading, lying to our own government and flooding our own streets with illegal narcotics.
More than 30-years later, Iran-Contra is part of the American story that is still growing.
Side note: The only person who went to who had anything to do with Iran-Contra who went to jail, was Freeway Rick Ross. Credited by many as the creator of the crack cocaine trade, Ross was sentenced to life in prison for his role in moving cocaine across the country. (Start at 11 minutes, 30 seconds)
Even in media, Regan, Bush and North often walk away without being portrayed as criminals. Lets take a look at some of the television shows and films that touch on various parts of Iran-Contra.
American Made
The Tom Cruise flick finds Cruise playing commercial pilot Barry Seal. Seal would find himself being a pawn in the governments plot to covertly move cash, drugs and guns from To Nicaragua.
Based on Seal’s true story, the 2017 was a hit at the box office, scoring a $134 million in sales. The story also highlights a somewhat unknown CIA type character who is instructing Seal personally on what to do and who to speak to. The character is speculated to be then George Bush.
Snowfall
The last great production from John Singleton, Snowfall is the unofficial story of Freeway Ricky Ross. The story follows the life of Franklin Saint, a young Black kid living in South Central Los Angeles who finds himself the head of a massive drug operation.
The series follows the stories of several characters whose lives are fated to intersect: 19-year-old drug dealer Franklin Saint, Mexican luchador Gustavo “El Oso” Zapata, CIA operative Teddy McDonald, and a Mexican crime boss’s niece, Lucia Villanueva.
Freeway: Crack in the System
Speaking of Freeway, his own documentary is a good start if you want to learn about what happened in the 80s that sparked the crack epidemic.
In the film, Rick tells his version of the story of drug dealers, dirty cops, and government complicity-more compelling than fiction, it’s the real story behind America’s longest war.Â
And these are just a few of the films that took a look at Iran-Contra and everything that spilled over from it. Check out some more films here.
Source: Atlantabis
