As many know, actor Sean Penn recently revived interest in his career by interviewing notorious Mexican outlaw Joaquin Guzman for Rolling Stone magazine shortly before the murderous drug lord’s arrest.  About a year before Penn’s article about Guzman, in a fawning Esquire magazine interview, Penn defended several similar “journalistic” endeavors up to that time. These had come under criticism as little more than vanity projects for a privileged Hollywood star, largely focused (like the Guzman piece) on glorifying Latin American caudillos and/or bandits who are heroes of the left. Penn’s distillation of his motivation for the projects was remarkably revealing. “I’m just another asshole trying to feel good about himself” said Penn. “And why shouldn’t I?  That’s what everybody should try to do.” Though Penn threw the line out in an obvious attempt to be both humble and funny it actually pretty succinctly...(Read Full Article)