How dare you! I demand this thread be locked or post be removed! ;-)
My (currently) favorite write-up on National Alcohol Prohibition is by David J. Hanson, Ph.D. He gives an excellent background all the way back to the Puritans (alcohol drinkers who even gave it to their CHILDREN!!!). (And did I mention those Puritan druggies were even so desperate for wine and beer they made them out of every conceivable organic material! Spruce twigs, pumpkins, parsnips, walnut-tree chips, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, elderberries, gooseberries, and currants. "They made wines from numerous vegetables, including carrots, tomatoes, onions, beets, celery, squash, corn silk, dandelions, and goldenrod. They additionally made wine from such products as flowers, herbs, and even oak leaves.")
And even though he doesn't write it from the perspective that alcohol prohibition is like modern-day drug prohibition, folks familiar with drug prohibition will see MANY parallels. Good cops vs. bad cops. Bad cops who viewed themselves as above the law. Calls for harsher punishments by those in favor of prohibition. Prohibitionist organizations perverting government and schools. Prohibitionists re-writing educational materials to "prove" that alcohol is ONLY bad, and abstinence is the ONLY option. And on and on.
My only complaint is the article is nearly impossible to find by browsing his website. You really need this direct link.
How dare you! I demand this thread be locked or post be removed! ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy (currently) favorite write-up on National Alcohol Prohibition is by David J. Hanson, Ph.D. He gives an excellent background all the way back to the Puritans (alcohol drinkers who even gave it to their CHILDREN!!!). (And did I mention those Puritan druggies were even so desperate for wine and beer they made them out of every conceivable organic material! Spruce twigs, pumpkins, parsnips, walnut-tree chips, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, elderberries, gooseberries, and currants. "They made wines from numerous vegetables, including carrots, tomatoes, onions, beets, celery, squash, corn silk, dandelions, and goldenrod. They additionally made wine from such products as flowers, herbs, and even oak leaves.")
And even though he doesn't write it from the perspective that alcohol prohibition is like modern-day drug prohibition, folks familiar with drug prohibition will see MANY parallels. Good cops vs. bad cops. Bad cops who viewed themselves as above the law. Calls for harsher punishments by those in favor of prohibition. Prohibitionist organizations perverting government and schools. Prohibitionists re-writing educational materials to "prove" that alcohol is ONLY bad, and abstinence is the ONLY option. And on and on.
My only complaint is the article is nearly impossible to find by browsing his website. You really need this direct link.