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actually, it spawned illegal booze trade

and brought good Canadian Scotch into the U.S. black market. It made some smugglers and bootleggers rich and famous -- ever heard the name Kennedy?  At the same time alcohol was banned, prohibition also made marijuana and cocaine illegal. Up until prohibition, the real thing in Coca Cola was cocaine. So now you can buy beer in supermarkets, at convience store/gas stations, and drive-ins all over the country, but you have to go to a scary corner to get your weed or any other illegal substance. I don't know what it is, but having something illegal or illicit seems to make it more appealing -- the thrill of stolen fruit or something. And all the crooks & cops and sidebars have kept Hollywood in plot material ever since movie cameras were invented.

posted by Pat_B on September 17, 2005 at 8:43 AM | link to this | reply

I never did pay much attention to history, but I seem to remember the prohibition had something to do with religion. Puritans? Quakers? I can't remember. Might have to google it myself.

posted by Ca88andra on September 15, 2005 at 4:52 AM | link to this | reply

Well, some women activists said that drunk men would come home

and beat their wives (true) and that Prohibition would lessen that (false). There's a puritanical strain in America that's anti-alcohol, but this is not nearly a majority (nor do I believe it was during Prohibition).

But you couldn't get us drunk enough not to see this administration's idiocy and malignancy. The next morning, at least, we can soberly take Him on. We choose not to for other reasons. I think those reasons include that people are generally comfortable and satisfied with the status quo, believing the world's problems to be pretty distant and inconsequential to us. There's terrorism, but not a single domestic attack in four years; even then 99.99999 percent of people were safe from terrorism. (They try to inspire fear in us, but it only works to a very limited extent judging by our continuing frivolous behavior). I also think it's because Americans work 8 to 12 hours a day, need about 8 hours to sleep off their body's exhaustion, and the rest of the time to distract themselves from the tedium and stress of their jobs by watching mindless TV and that kind of thing. Maybe people do also use alcohol to distract themselves. I find it doesn't work anymore with me. Alcohol just makes me an unhappy person with a stamina problem. I'd rather be unhappy with perfect stamina. 

posted by Dylan24 on September 14, 2005 at 7:28 PM | link to this | reply

Interesting essay, Damon. Tis a good film. I haven't got an answer to any of your questions, but I'm sure some of our historians from across the pond may give us some insights. Was it led by religious leaders? I don't know. There are certainly still some dry states, I believe. Again, our blogging chums will know more than us.

As for our binge nation, I don't know what's going on. My younger colleagues at work 'only drink to get drunk', they don't drink moderately for pleasure.

Maybe it's just us getting old.

Think I'll go and have a beer now.

Cheers.

posted by _dave_says_ack_ on September 14, 2005 at 9:15 AM | link to this | reply