Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats
- Thread starter GasBandit
- Start date
that said, who knows how much worse I would have been if I could have bought booze as easily as I bought Mt. Dew.
GasBandit
Staff member
When I was 19, working in IT, I knew a guy who got busted and had to do community service at the DMV. I got him to steal a bunch of blank laminates (the driver's license laminates at the time had the magnetic strip backing built in, so they'd print out the front of your license and stick it in and laminate it, and then program the back). Using the BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART technological innovations of "photoshop" and "color laser printers" (our color laser at work was the size of a car), I was able to alter our "real" driver's licenses to add 2 years to our ages (changing 1979 to 1977 on our DOBs) for him, me, and 10 or so of our closest friends.
That fake served me well for... well, 2 years.
Another thing about LA at the time, if you could reach over the bar, they would sell you a beer. Raising the drinking age to 21 greatly cut down on the 16 year old kids drinking and driving.
Some people in favor of changing the drinking age said that an average 18 year old would give a beer to a 16 year old, but a 21 year old would not.
Some people in favor of changing the drinking age said that an average 18 year old would give a beer to a 16 year old, but a 21 year old would not.
That's because the government regulates the distribution and sale of alcohol (a legal drug) but does NOT regulate the distribution and sale of illegal drugs, and therefore has no official records of where they come from nor where they go, QED.
--Patrick
Actually, i'm pretty sure it's more about the amount of profits that can be made with the illegal ones, vs the ones you can just buy legally...
If alcohol had the same profits you'd see it sold illegally too, even if it still was legally available.
Black markets for stuff that's sold legally do exist.
You mean like how a Fox Business Analyst said torture worked on McCain, or how a White House aid mocked him by saying he was dying anyways? That is some messed up shit.
Obviously you have more drunk driver accidents by the young then 'MURICA then...
But god help you if you say anything about Huckabee's eye shadow. Fuck them.
Slightly higher percentage than the US, but I believe that has as much to do with Canada being a spread out mess of a country with pure garbage public transportation. Access to quality public transportation seems to really carve a large percent off of incidents. Many European nations for example that have a higher amount of binge drinking per capita, yet lower drunk driving issues.
Myself for example. I live easily 50 minutes on foot from the nearest bar because St. Albert was designed by Alzheimers patients and is unlivable if you don't own a car. It's a city of 70000 people.
Actually there is a lot of illegal alcohol being sold, even in 'wet' areas. Mostly Moonshine is made now to avoid the crazy high taxes (sin tax) on liquor. Also another reason for Moonshine is that it is available when you are ready to buy. I get a little upset at the Blue Laws here when I finish a bottle of Bourbon on a Saturday evening and have to wait two more days to purchase more.
My good friend Robert was from a dry county in Tennessee. What that meant was they either had to drive to another county, where there was a liquor store pretty much just over the county line, or contact the bootlegger they knew. Now, this guy wasn't transporting moonshine or homebrew, he would just go to a non-dry county, load up his van, and sell it on the DL with a considerable markup. So when Robert was 19, he and a buddy ran out of what they had left, but were just drunk enough to figure, "Hey, let's go see (their bootlegger), we've hung out with him, he knows we're cool." So they drive over to his house unannounced. He comes out of the door with a shotgun, Robert waves, and then ducks as the bootlegger starts shooting at him. He and his buddy get the fuck out of there. So they call him later and were like, "What the fuck man, you could see it was us," and he goes, "You don't come over without calling first. That's rule #1. You show up again without letting me know, I won't miss."
So being a dry county didn't stop the sale or consumption of alcohol, but it DID create a situation where a dude was willing to shoot two young guys he knew fairly well because they didn't call before dropping by.
'Murica.
So being a dry county didn't stop the sale or consumption of alcohol, but it DID create a situation where a dude was willing to shoot two young guys he knew fairly well because they didn't call before dropping by.
'Murica.
While it's an interesting anecdote, and I agree literally with the first part, I'd suggest that it wasn't meant to stop alcohol trade, but to reduce it. It would be interesting to look at other key indicators, such as alcoholism, drunk driving, and assault compared to nearby counties.
The second part is an interesting implication, that the law is responsible for the dangerous situation, shifting responsibility from the individuals to the state. While side effects are common, and must be balanced against the other intended effects of legislation, the responsibility lies with the individual(s) taking action.
But that does seem to be a continuing shift in society, moving responsibility from the individual to society, government, institutions, etc.
There was a bootlegger that had this bumper sticker...
THINK OF MY CHILDREN AND KEEP THIS COUNTY DRY
THINK OF MY CHILDREN AND KEEP THIS COUNTY DRY
Yeah, i mean, remember the good times back when everyone just blamed individuals for stuff, and the crime rate was like way down... oh, wait!
Hey look! @Li3n picked the PEAK OF THE GRAPH to start from!!
https://lowtechcombat.com/blog/2010/12/50-year-trends-in-violent-crime-in-us
The rate in the 1960s is 1/3 to 1/4 of the peak around 1990, and the '60s number is less than half of right now. So "the good times" were probably before you were born. And that data's from FBI numbers.
Actually i just picked the first one i could find. And the trend going downwards only since the 90's still contradicts his point, even if we assume he meant it all started i the 60s.
Also, i somehow doubt "the good times" where during a time anyone here (besides Dave) was born.
Also, those numbers are absolute, and not per capita... what was the population again in the 1960s?
Here's a source with the actual crime rate per 100k, which seems to be going back to 1960s levels: https://leftcall.com/4557/u-s-crime-rates-1960-2010-the-facts-might-surprise-you/ , while the increases where all in the 70-90s era.
Although i'd assume that the FBI also got a lot better at identifying crimes and finding bodies.
Also, i somehow doubt "the good times" where during a time anyone here (besides Dave) was born.
Also, those numbers are absolute, and not per capita... what was the population again in the 1960s?
Here's a source with the actual crime rate per 100k, which seems to be going back to 1960s levels: https://leftcall.com/4557/u-s-crime-rates-1960-2010-the-facts-might-surprise-you/ , while the increases where all in the 70-90s era.
Although i'd assume that the FBI also got a lot better at identifying crimes and finding bodies.
It's also an interesting assumption that he wouldn't be involved in illegal business if the county wasn't dry. If it wasn't, there would be no market for boot legging, so would he not be involved in illegal but lucrative business or would he be selling some other contraband?
The first American online betting site. Other countries are already a few years ahead.
Hey, don’t spoil the ending! I haven’t seen this one yet!