Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3156 mails)

[Fergus Wilde <fwilde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday 04 December 2007 16:11, Hans Witvliet wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-12-04 at 07:56 -0800, Randall R Schulz wrote:
> > On Tuesday 04 December 2007 07:45, Neil wrote:
> > > Hi
> > >
> > > I live in the Netherlands, ...
> >
> > Every year that goes by I regret more and more not accepting the job
> > offer that Philips (Apeldorn) made to me in the late 80s.
>
> Don't.
>
> If you did accept it, there is a more than fair chance you would be out
> of a job and got a drinking-habbit
>
> It a nice country I live in:
> Last couple of weeks it was several times in the news that a bunch of
> yougsters attended a drinking party and went on untill they pass out.
> Kids of 12 years old. Permanent brain damage.
>
> I would almost opt for the Scandinavian mechanism: extremely strict and
> horrible expensive.

After the First World War in the US, they took what appeared the logical step 
and outlawed the admittedly toxic and often socially and medically damaging 
substance, alcohol, altogether. You can probably justify such a step if you 
are of an authoritarian bent that permits of the idea that the state can and 
should criminalise behaviour that harms us. 

But I suspect most of our US friends will agree that the result of prohibition 
was not that US society became more sober, industrious, and comprised largely 
of people with splendidly healthy livers, but that organised crime was handed 
a leg up so massive that eighty years later the effects are still being felt.

You cannot legislate for good intent.




> hw

-- 
Fergus Wilde
Chetham's Library
Long Millgate
Manchester
M3 1SB

Tel: 0161 834 7961
Fax: 0161 839 5797

http://www.chethams.org.uk
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