According to super-scold Kathleen Parker, God-Emperor Trump is responsible for the rise in booze consumption in the U.S.
More than 70 percent of Americans imbibe each year, and about 40 percent drink excessively, according to two separate studies last year. A comparison to 2014 data showed a 10 percent increase in the number of heavy drinkers.
I mention these sotted stats for context. Lately, at least from my perch on the porch, the evening cocktail has become less an aperitif than a medicinal slug made necessary by the alternative of ripping off my face. To bear witness to These Times In Which We Live is to go insane, join a cult or pour your favorite poison.
And what are “These Times In Which We Live”? Well, Parker goes on to explain her reasons. Mostly, they’re of the “Not Our Kind, Dear” (NOKD) sort, because Trump had rapper Kanye West over to the White House for a visit — I mean, my dear: imagine having a rapper tread the hallowed halls of government?
Honestly, that thought doesn’t drive me to drink, although I think Kanye West is, to put it mildly, fucked in the head. What would (and did) cause that reaction in me was when the President had the Prime Minister of Israel over, and made him leave out the back door like an unwanted encyclopedia salesman; or doing the same or worse to the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Okay, that was a different president — Barack Cocksucker Obama, actually — but you see my point. Presidents can drive one to drink, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that important.
Trump probably is causing people to drink more, but different groups of people are doing so for different reasons. Among socialists, people are drinking to drown their sorrow and rage (try not to giggle like a little girl when you follow that link):
…whereas we conservatives look on what Trump is doing to the socialist agenda, and are drinking in celebration:
And one of the joys of drinking Liberal Tears is that you can drink it either as a refresher, or as a mixer with your J&B.
So, to Kathleen Parker I say: bottoms up!
Ah yes, three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Clicking thru the links, we find that “excessive drinking” is defined as 14 or more drinks per week for men, and seven or more for women. An average of two per DAY for men or one for women. Granted, someone who only drinks on Saturday night and consumes 14 drinks is likely to be more than a little polluted, but for some people two beers in an evening is known as “Tuesday”.
I’ve said many times that Americans are weird about alcohol. Don’t dare have a sip before age 21 or your parents risk going to jail, but at 21 you’re expected to use the forbidden fruit in moderation (and of course keep reducing the amount of consumption which is considered “moderate”, because MADD needs to keep relevant). I didn’t realize just how weird we are until I took a tour of Italy, where it’s common to see someone standing on a sidewalk drinking a beer at lunch time (which would get you a $500 ticket in NJ for having an open container), where the highway rest stops sell little bottles of wine to have with your meal, and the only people I EVER saw drunk were tourists. We went out for a REAL nice meal one night, and the wine was included. While I wouldn’t have driven given the amount of wine I had, one young(ish) lady overdid to the point where she left her meal on the bus during the trip back to the hotel.
I guess it balances though, Italians are insane about “weapons”, only the government has guns, and I didn’t dare bring my EDC pocket knife with me.
TEXAS is an interesting place when it comes to drinking, some counties are dry, no alcohol sales permitted at all and other counties and cities make it easy to drink, public drinking, glass of wine or a beer walking down the street no problem in most cities and town, just fine where I live here in the Hill Country. We have downtown events where folks wander around from place to place enjoying food and drink.
Under 21 years of age, legal if with parents, even in restaurants, this varies with the apparent age of the child and particular restaurant but it is legal and of course at home however it is illegal to give other kids any alcohol, just your own.
And it was not too many years ago that drinking beer and driving was just fine and distance was measured in number of beers to make the trip but those days are gone and open containers in vehicles must be stored in the trunk or behind the furtherest back seat. I have no problem with not driving if I am drinking more than one drink since I don’t want others on the road impaired either.
As for Trump increasing the consumption of alcohol I don’t really know about the cause and effect, there might be other factors such as fewer hard core Baptists and more moderate people who have a glass or two of wine with their evening meals. However, if anything bad happens it just makes sense that it is Trump’s fault along with those savages who voted for him still celebrating. And others, those who voted for the person who came in 2nd might be just identifying with her drinking habits in support of her continuing to talk about her lack luster performance.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Work is the curse of the drinking classes.” More people are in work, so there are more people who can afford to drink. So she’s right and Trump is indeed responsible!
Didn’t know that Liberal Tears was considered alcohol.