Totally hear you—yeah, the temperance movement was real, and alcohol abuse was absolutely devastating in a lot of communities. I know that personally, too—I’m a recovering alcoholic. So I’m not pro-alcohol in any way.
But what I’m unpacking in this piece isn’t about whether alcohol is good or bad—it’s about how morality gets weaponized by power.
The public may have pushed for prohibition from a place of real concern, but the way it was implemented—the violence, the profiteering, the way it disproportionately harmed marginalized people—that wasn’t driven by purity. That was a moral cause hijacked by empire.
So yeah, I’ve got my own values about this. But I’m laying out facts, patterns, and historical receipts so we can all look a little deeper than just surface-level intentions.
Right?? If it brings joy or freedom, they regulate it.
But if it makes money or keeps people numb? Green light all the way.