Saturday, May 7, 2022

The Alcohol Industry and Their Lies

"The alcohol industry falsely claims that their business helps the nation’s economy, in an attempt to justify the sale of their harmful products. When in reality they harm the economy. Our nation spends more money each year dealing with the social, medical, and economic damages caused by alcohol use than the alcohol industry makes in sales.

The alcohol industry claims that their businesses will bring in tax revenue. In reality, the federal, state, and local governments spend far more money dealing with the problems caused by alcohol than they ever receive in taxes, and most of those costs end up being paid for by higher taxes on the rest of us.

The alcohol industry claims that it brings business to communities. In reality, their business siphons consumer money away from honest businesses, damages workforce productivity, fosters increased violence and crime in neighborhoods, and in many other ways contributes to an environment that is less suitable for most other businesses to operate. Alcohol businesses grow by sucking the life and vitality out of the communities in which they reside.

The alcohol industry promotes habitual alcohol use, increased alcohol use, and addiction, so that it can profit off exploiting users, without regard for how it will negatively affect the users and other people around them. All too often, their profiteering drains away money that could have been spent by people to meet their needs or the needs of their families, that could have been spent on something that would benefit their lives rather than harming them, and that could have been spent on supporting honest businesses and their workers.

On top of that, the damaging mental and physical effects of alcohol damage use productivity and harm the ability of people to make a living. The effects of alcohol use produce a variety of illnesses and injuries, which lead to shortened lives and increased medical costs.

The alcohol industry and its products contribute to increased poverty, to childhood poverty, to the abuse and neglect of children, to increased violence and crime, and so many other things that serve to deprive people of a decent life.

The alcohol industry does not bring the prosperity it claims. It never has and it never will. It will just make our communities sicker, poorer, and more highly taxed. The alcohol industry profits off exploiting and harming others, while the rest of us are forced to pay the costs of the damages.

The alcohol industry peddles lies to try to deceive the public into accepting their practices because they know that when enough of the public understands what’s really going on, they will be put out of business. The alcohol industry thinks that if they repeat their lies enough times that they can continue to deceive the public. But we hold that if the truth is repeated enough times, then public awareness will grow. That one day enough people will be aware of the situation, that the alcohol industry will no longer be able to keep up their charade, and their glass house of deception and excuses will come crashing down."

Saturday, April 23, 2022

A plank for the Prohibition Party's 2024 platform

A news story came to my attention recently. The state of Tennessee passed a bill that would require drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill the parent of a minor. It would at the least be an interesting experiment in recidivism. I feel a federal version of this bill would make a good plank for the Prohibition Party's 2024 platform.

Friday, April 22, 2022

"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

These are words spoken by Jesus in Matthew 22:21 about the relationship between God and earthly authority. The common interpretation is "pay your taxes". My interpretation is "divest yourself of that which renders you servile to men". Or as stated in Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Why I bring this up is because of this news story where Netflix has recently decided to crackdown on password sharing as well as possibly adding commercials. I find it hilarious because I have a DVD player but no Netflix account. That means no commercials, no accounts or passwords, no monthly payments, no movies pulled arbitrarily. There is no indentured servitude.

Coming soon to Netflix


This is only a small part of my "rebellion" against technological modernization. I try to avoid subscription services when at all possible. It was part of the reason I chose to change my diet and lose weight rather than go on Accutane. It's why I refuse to get a smartphone or a new car. It's part of the reason I refuse all drug use. It's why I've become obsessed with gardening and growing my own food. It's all tied in together.

Freedom from technological modernity

You can serve tech corporations or you can serve yourself and, by extension, God. Being free from technological slavery is a wonderful feeling.

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Photo(s) of the Week: Tatiana's typhoid fever

 Some photos of when Grand Duchess Tatiana contracted typhoid fever in February and March of 1913.

A very much alive Tatiana





With a ghost Alexandra




Saturday, April 2, 2022