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A review by cpope9
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
5.0
Infuriating but so well organized and presented.
There’s a special place in hell for eccentric rich people who use the rest of the human population as play things they can manipulate and destroy for their own benefit and profit. And the lunacy always passes on and gets further perverted with the generations.
This clan of awful people profit so overwhelmingly off of the pain and death of others (e.g. literally and intentionally creating the opioid epidemic to make money by selling the drugs). Aside from the crimes on display (despite them never having to pay for anything they did…so far at least), maybe the most interesting thing here is the insight into the inner functioning of high net worth and high power institutions (banks, businesses, museums, big pharma, government agencies, billionaire families, etc.). You come to see just how impossible justice is to render at the highest levels despite the overwhelming oppression the same justice system imposes at the lowest levels. The apparent power and moral disparity between the wealthy and powerful and everyone else is utterly astounding and damnable.
Regardless, this is a huge and hugely worthwhile and entertaining piece of nonfiction that is still highly relevant. Would recommend to anyone…but be prepared to be annoyed, infuriated, aghast, and/or confused at how rigged everything seems to be.
There’s a special place in hell for eccentric rich people who use the rest of the human population as play things they can manipulate and destroy for their own benefit and profit. And the lunacy always passes on and gets further perverted with the generations.
This clan of awful people profit so overwhelmingly off of the pain and death of others (e.g. literally and intentionally creating the opioid epidemic to make money by selling the drugs). Aside from the crimes on display (despite them never having to pay for anything they did…so far at least), maybe the most interesting thing here is the insight into the inner functioning of high net worth and high power institutions (banks, businesses, museums, big pharma, government agencies, billionaire families, etc.). You come to see just how impossible justice is to render at the highest levels despite the overwhelming oppression the same justice system imposes at the lowest levels. The apparent power and moral disparity between the wealthy and powerful and everyone else is utterly astounding and damnable.
Regardless, this is a huge and hugely worthwhile and entertaining piece of nonfiction that is still highly relevant. Would recommend to anyone…but be prepared to be annoyed, infuriated, aghast, and/or confused at how rigged everything seems to be.