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 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
