Prohibition Repealed Today!

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Prohibition Repealed Today!

DECEMBER 5, 2014Ryan McMaken

 

81 years ago. The federal government may one day take notice.

 

Most of the US Constitution is anti-libertarian and designed to extract more taxes and centralize political power. Some of the Amendments, however, are quite pro-freedom, including, of course, the first ten amendments, but we should also mention the 21st amendment, which repealed the 18th amendment banning the sale, importation, production, and possession of alcoholic beverages.

 

How quaint it was that Americans once thought we needed an amendment to allow the federal government to ban and substances and regulated what we eat or drink. Shortly after the passage of the 21st amendment, however, the feds realized they can just do whatever they want and pass statutes banning this substance or that. And regulating each and every thing you put in your body. This is what we call the Drug War today,

http://mises.org/blog/prohibition-repealed-today

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Prohibition and the Socialist Ideal

 

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36 min ago Tho Bishop

Under the capitalistic system the ultimate bosses are the consumers. The sovereign is not the state, it is the people. And the proof that they are the sovereign is borne out by the fact that they have the right to be foolish. This is the privilege of the sovereign. He has the right to make mistakes, no one can prevent him from making them, but of course he has to pay for his mistakes. If we say the consumer is supreme or that the consumer is sovereign, we do not say that the consumer is free from faults, that the consumer is a man who always knows what would be best for him. The consumers very often buy things or consume things they ought not to buy or ought not to consume.

 

But the notion that a capitalist form of government can prevent people from hurting themselves by controlling their consumption is false. The idea of government as a paternal authority, as a guardian for everybody, is the idea of those who favor socialism. In the United States some years ago, the government tried what was called “a noble experiment.” This noble experiment was a law making it illegal to buy or sell intoxicating beverages. It is certainly true that many people drink too much brandy and whiskey, and that they may hurt themselves by doing so. Some authorities in the United States are even opposed to smoking. Certainly there are many people who smoke too much and who smoke in spite of the fact that it would be better for them not to smoke

https://mises.org/blog/prohibition-and-socialist-ideal