Epilogue

My final thoughts in the epilogue extend beyond Colombia, observing how the Escobar brand has been putting down roots in much wider settings, with its historical referent often bearing little to almost no resemblance. From a Chilean variety show with an Escobar character whose endearing joviality portrays the drug baron as a likeable fatty to the Netflix television series Narcos and the film Escobar: Paradise Lost featuring Hollywood icon Benicio del Toro, Escobar is undeniably present at the core of the argument, albeit not in a true-to-life rendition. Thus the capo has become a postmodern simulacrum and a catalyst for dynamic storytelling, where each new tale affords its own ideology, merely bouncing off Escobar’s notorious traits and life story. This chapter also traces the rise of Escobar-themed establishments all over the globe, from restaurants and bars to strip clubs and ice-cream parlors. It examines how Escobar’s memory is branded in a variety of ways and by different subjects, including Escobar’s son Sebastian Marroquín. It explores the tensions inherent in the conflict between trauma of Escobar’s violence and the ongoing aggressive commodification of his persona.

Navigating the political backlash

This chapter explores how Obama progressive policies prompted a strong political and ideological backlash. It explains how the Tea Party accentuated partisan polarization, a trend that characterizes American politics since the end of the 1970s. Tea Party ideology had three major elements: a hatred of Barack Obama, a visceral rejection of redistributive and pro-poor social policies, and a focus on the need to cut federal government intervention to the bare minimum. As states legislatures shifted to the right, House Republican proposals on welfare and food stamps had strong moralizing and criminalizing undertones. Legislative proposals were inspired by socially regressive state experiments such as mandatory drug testing for welfare applicants or requiring that cash assistance cards should be banned in strip clubs or casinos.