Prohibition

[Higgins86]

So before I went to bed last night I watched Ken Burns Prohibition and found myself fascinated by it! I love American history because its almost like a clean slate compared to European history and they try their own methods etc. Prohibition to me is unreal because the America I know argues over anything that will infringe upon her freedom but yet not that long ago they passed a law which not only dictated to Americans about what they could do with alcohol but also destroyed massive businesses ( the same businesses who's taxes helped win the civil war). My thread is aimed at Americans ( although anyone can wade in) and how you feel about prohibition, the main reason it was passed and can you ever see such a law being passed again?

 

[specklebang]

“We can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the other possibilities.”
Winston Churchill

Our drug war is as daffy as prohibition and works just as well. Give us just another 50 years and when our prison population hits 20 million, we'll look into this and see if we got it right.:roll:
Speckle Bang

 

[ForcedAppeal]

Darn Woman's Christian Temperance Union and other prominent 'temperance' groups had a bit too much influence.

 

[apdst]

The Volstead Act was a classic case of vote pandering.

 

[Oberon]

So before I went to bed last night I watched Ken Burns Prohibition and found myself fascinated by it!

there is a book out named Last Call that is much better and more detailed you might enjoy.

I love American history because its almost like a clean slate compared to European history and they try their own methods etc. Prohibition to me is unreal because the America I know argues over anything that will infringe upon her freedom but yet not that long ago they passed a law which not only dictated to Americans about what they could do with alcohol but also destroyed massive businesses ( the same businesses who's taxes helped win the civil war).

It was a more complicated and nuanced issue than merely drinking. The law didn't ban drinking, just the transport and sale of it; making your own was perfectly legal up to specified quantities per year; Budweiser stayed in business selling beer making equipment and supplies all through Prohibition.

My thread is aimed at Americans ( although anyone can wade in) and how you feel about prohibition, the main reason it was passed and can you ever see such a law being passed again?

I would have supported it then, though I would have preferred a much tougher set of laws. American consumption through the 19th century was 3 to 5 times European consumption per capita, and of course this produced a massive amount of family violence and economic hardship; Prohibition was more of a womens' rights and child protection movement rather than the myth blaming prudes and christians for it. Also it did indeed reduce consumption considerably. The crime increase myth is also largely untrue for a number of reasons, many states were already dry for a decade before the Volstead Act went into effect, and many remained dry after its repeal.

 

[Helix]

how you feel about prohibition

a complete and utter failure. the failed war on pot is prohibition v 2.0

the main reason it was passed and can you ever see such a law being passed again?

it was passed because drunk people who aren't handling their **** do stupid ****. zealot non-drinkers built up enough momentum to make politicians pass the amendment.

as for alcohol prohibition happening again, no. if they wanted to do it again, they would just pass a bunch of local laws which make it annoying to buy booze. if they make it annoying enough, bootleggers will fill the gap again.

 

[Oberon]

An interesting read on Prohibition. I disagree with some of it, but then it's just a generalist piece and not intended to be a comprehensive study:


Did Prohibition Really Work? Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation

Abstract

The conventional view that National Prohibition failed rests upon an historically flimsy base. The successful campaign to enact National Prohibition was the fruit of a century-long temperance campaign, experience of which led prohibitionists to conclude that a nationwide ban on alcohol was the most promising of the many strategies tried thus far. A sharp rise in consumption during the early 20th century seemed to confirm the bankruptcy of alternative alcohol-control programs.

The stringent prohibition imposed by the Volstead Act, however, represented a more drastic action than many Americans expected. Nevertheless, National Prohibition succeeded both in lowering consumption and in retaining political support until the onset of the Great Depression altered voters’ priorities. Repeal resulted more from this contextual shift than from characteristics of the innovation itself.

It was a pretty weak law, but it had some great effects, short as well as long term.

 

[apdst]

a complete and utter failure. the failed war on pot is prohibition v 2.0




it was passed because drunk people who aren't handling their **** do stupid ****. zealot non-drinkers built up enough momentum to make politicians pass the amendment.

as for alcohol prohibition happening again, no. if they wanted to do it again, they would just pass a bunch of local laws which make it annoying to buy booze. if they make it annoying enough, bootleggers will fill the gap again.

It passed, because the politicians were courting the female vote.

The temperance movement was all women. Women who just recently got the right to vote.

 

[Goshin]

So before I went to bed last night I watched Ken Burns Prohibition and found myself fascinated by it! I love American history because its almost like a clean slate compared to European history and they try their own methods etc. Prohibition to me is unreal because the America I know argues over anything that will infringe upon her freedom but yet not that long ago they passed a law which not only dictated to Americans about what they could do with alcohol but also destroyed massive businesses ( the same businesses who's taxes helped win the civil war). My thread is aimed at Americans ( although anyone can wade in) and how you feel about prohibition, the main reason it was passed and can you ever see such a law being passed again?

The teetotaler lobby meant well, but they hadn't thought it through.

It's almost impossible to keep from the populace that which a majority of them, or even a large and determined minority, desire to possess.



It is VERY worth noting that in those days they were honest enough to admit the Fedgov had NO Constitutional power to regulate the consumption of anything, and had to pass an Amendment to do it. Pity that almost everyone has completely forgotten that.