Prohibition without depression.

If great depression had never occurred, how long lasted prohibition?

Well, given the fact that Prohibition weakened the rule of law throughout the country and led to a large amount of money flowing into the pockets of the Mafia, I imagine that people soon knew that it was an unmitigated disaster.
 
Last edited:
Well, given the fact that Prohibition weakened the rule of law throughout the country and to a large amount of money flowing into the pockets of the Mafia, I imagine that people soon knew that it was an unmitigated disaster.

Agreed. Prohibition was partly repealed so that alcohol could be taxed, yes. It was also repealed because it was an unmitigated disaster which never worked and which was doing more damage than good.
For one, it only punished the poorer people. If you were rich, you stocked up on masses of liquor, which I think you could legally drink as I believe prohibition made illegal only sale and purchase and not consumption. If you weren't a Rockefeller or a Senator, you were screwed.
It also never prevented people from drinking, as moonshiners and bootleggers took care of that, and people wanted to drink. And it just made those people criminals, and created organized crime, and allowed Gangster empires to rise as they would never have been able to without prohibition, which in turn corrupted governments, towns, cities, and created violence in the streets of American cities.

Even people who were temperance believers were forced to admit it was a failure, and a bad one at that, which is why when FDR came, the government decided to repeal it.
 

mowque

Banned
Lasts about the same amount of time. Maybe a term longer if a Republican holds on to the White House. But eventually a Democrat will win, and other issues will loom large and Prohibition will be quietly cancelled.
 
Lasts about the same amount of time. Maybe a term longer if a Republican holds on to the White House. But eventually a Democrat will win, and other issues will loom large and Prohibition will be quietly cancelled.

I don't know whether it mattered which party was in. Politician support for it by the later point of its existence I believe was largely just to gather votes from those in the public who supported it, given that it's problems were already evident and it was already evident that the whole thing was a mess.

Unless you have a truly temperance candidate in the White House, I believe it'll be repealed.
 
Which was the position of Herbert Hoover?

He called it a noble experiment in public, but disliked it in private, drank alcohol when he visited the Belgian embassy as it was technically foreign soil, and was upset that prohibition had forced him to get rid of his prized wine cellar.
 
It is an absolute iron law of economics.

If there is a sufficient demand for an illegal substance criminal organizations will provide this substance. All I would have to do is point out the cocaine trade here in the US. We have been waging a 'war on drugs' since the early 80's. How many people visiting this site are too young to even remember Reagen? Yet despite billions of dollars spent and years of effort cocaine remains ever present.

Even without the depression you will still have bootleggers and gangs providing alcohol. Most Americans refused to see drinking a beer as a crime and there was just too many willing to spend to quench their thirsts.

If economic times are more prosperous the gangs may be less brutal as there is less desperation and a comfortable prosperous society would be less willing to put up with violent crime. With no depression I would not expect people like Bonnie and Clyde and Ma and Pa kettle to turn to crime. Gangs in major cities would still profit from bootlegging and stills and speak easies would still sprout like mushrooms after a rain storm. However the gun battles in the streets and cold blooded murders might be a lot less. The criminals would probably prefer to keep a low profile and make their money without drawing attention.
 
The only way prohibition could succeed is if it started later. A lot later. probably not until well after today.

Basically, you would have to turn the Temperance movement into something like the anti-smoking movement would later be. I am as certain that tobacco will be banned within my lifetime as I am about anything in the future that is subject to human decisions. Moving slowly, hammering the science that on its side, with each step relatively inoffensive, and firmly viewed as progressive. I'm actually unsure if Temperance cast itself as progressive or conservative, anybody know that?
 
The only way prohibition could succeed is if it started later. A lot later. probably not until well after today.

Basically, you would have to turn the Temperance movement into something like the anti-smoking movement would later be. I am as certain that tobacco will be banned within my lifetime as I am about anything in the future that is subject to human decisions. Moving slowly, hammering the science that on its side, with each step relatively inoffensive, and firmly viewed as progressive. I'm actually unsure if Temperance cast itself as progressive or conservative, anybody know that?

New Zealand plans to outlaw the sale of tobacco by 2025. I see the gangs rolling in tobacco money by 2026.
 
Didin't the end of ethanol production, as fuel for agricole engines or other vehicles quickened to use of oil for its use?
 
Top