Thursday, January 12, 2012

Prohibition

Most would say that prohibition was a failed effort.  Do you agree? 

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What were the arguements both for and against prohibition?
Who were the people involved?
Why did prohibition end?

After reading the website, chose one or more question below and post your comments on the blog.

Are there any comparisons or connections that you can make between prohibition of the 1920's and today?
Was it a good idea?

You post should be at least 10 sentences.

17 comments:

  1. Prohibition was put in place by the government with the intent of lowering crime. The events that proceeded the 21st ammendment was infact just the opposite. crim had increased due to the money that could be made smuggling and serving illegal alchohol. when the great deppression struck the govrnment appealed the ammendment because farmers could make money off the alchohol production therefore stimulating our countries economy. also because the govrnment could make money by taxing the alchohol.

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  2. Taxation on liquor has increased since the 1920’s and is still in effect to this day. The sales of liquor have improved the economy and helped farmers since the great depression will the sales of grain. One side was that liquor helped the economy. The other side was that liquor was seen as bad. People went around cracking barrels open with hatchets. This was seen as saving the soldiers from the good old evil as mass numbers of enlisting soldiers went into service. Even during prohibition, liquor was still making money through mobsters and I think that, that is what helped get the liquor business to what it is today. Prohibitiong I think helped make the world what it is today because such action was taken from one small thing.

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  3. the prohabition was a failed effort in my eyes because the people who were trying to stop it tried to make a difference by teling the government that they need to band achohol, but the government refused to do so, the people thought this achohol was evil and it destroyed lives, but even something like a rights group would not be able to stop the spread of achohol and the usage of it

    TIFFANY MILLER

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  4. I agree that Prohibition was a failed effort because they did it to reduce crime rates, but it actually increased organized crime and Al Capone was a major gangster during this time. Their arguments were that grain should be used to make bread for fighting soldiers and not alcohol. Arguments against Prohibition were that alcohol was paying more taxes than liberty bonds and that drinking alcohol was part of the culture. The people involved were Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Congress, President Wilson, and the Anti-Saloon League. Prohibition ended to allow more jobs during the Great Depression and because of its high tax revenue. Prohibition was not a good idea because organized crime increased rather than decreased, and it “failed to eliminate drinking, made drinking more popular among the young, spawned organized crime and disrespect for the law, encouraged solitary drinking, and led beer drinkers to hard liquor and cocktails.”

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  5. Most would say that the prohibition is a fail and i agree with them. I agree because nothing was really gained when they banned it. People had went along with it for a little, but soon the minority of drinkers turned into the majority. There were some people who just wanted to start drinking because of that fact that it was illegal. Also, when they banned alchohol drinkers would have speak easy's in secret places to prevent the law officials from knowing. When they had these speak easys people would spend a generous amount of money to get it. So if people really wanted to drink they could do it anyways and becaause of this there was an increased crime rate within the city, and the whole point of the amendment being made was to try and lower the city's crime rate. This is why i agree that the Prohibition was a failed effort.

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  6. The people that were involved in the prohibition time were the Anti-Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union. They were concerned with the connections to the wife beating with alcohol. Henry Ford also was worried about the impact of drinking labor productivity. They believed that if they got rid of alcohol then it would end corruption. Then about 65 percent of the country had already banned alcohol. Some places today debate about whether or not the impact of Prohibition and alcohol rages. To me this would be fine sense lately today there are a lot more accidents dealing with drunk drivers, then back in the 1920's.

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  7. Prohibition was the removal of alcohol from the U.S. during the 1920's. By making the beverage illegal, groups such as the womens christian temperence union, thought that crime, violence, and improper usage of grain would be eliminated. Even before the federal bann most states had enforced laws against alcohol.

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  8. I believe that prohibition was a bad thing in the sense of banning the sale of alcohol. Because it was such a big thing to America before it was banned, that people were un-happy and acted up their un happiness. When they made it legal again it was a good idea because it increased tax revenue for the state and federal government. It made America happy once again. And it helped out the farmers in their crop sales because they sold their crops for the creation and distribution of liquor. Also it was a good thing that they made it legal because it could create jobs for Americans. When it was banned, crime was more imminent and more illegal actions were being committed such as illegal bars still selling liquor, and smugglers sneaking alcohol into the country. Therefor allowing the sale and distribution of alcohol again was a good idea because it helped the country as a whole.

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  9. The connection I can see between the prohibition of the 1920’s and today is the production and selling of Marijuana. True they are two very different things but they are being outlawed the reason being that they distort peoples’ minds so that they don’t think or act clearly. In addition, the sale of marijuana is similar to the prohibition. When it becomes illegal, the criminal groups begin to sell it, making it harder, if not impossible, to restrict or ban the sale and use of the product. Banning something somebody should have the choice to have access to never seems to end well and/or seems to make the product more popular and profitable to sell.

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  10. Prohibition is the banning of all alcohol sales in the early 20th century. This banning of liquor sales was ratified by the 18th amendment in 1919. The causation for this was a reform in the views on alcohol and its effect and was pushed through because many feared crime and social problems were related to alcohol, they feared American soldiers falling victim to alcohol dependency and a strong anti-German sentiment towards breweries. The banning on Manufacture sale and distribution of alcohol thusly lead to a huge new criminal enterprise, moonshining. Many gangsters and mafia’s profited from this illegal sale, and as well as some famous American families such as the Kennedy’s made vast somes of money this way. In 1933 prohibition ended, and though many would say it was a failed effort this is hard agree with. Though it was criminal enterprise it was a very lucerative enterprise which brought wealth and stability to many citizens.

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  11. alot of people were for prohibiton because they didnt like what people turned into drinking. also they thought it would cause less damge in towns and citys if alchol was gone. the response however was just the oppistie evryone freaked out and smuggled in achlocol any way they could like this one guy had about 500 barrels in his garage

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  12. The prohibition to me was a fail. The reason I think ita a fail is people still drink and it didnt reduce crime rates, there was a still a huge demand for alchol. The great depression didnt agree with prohibition, federal goverment realized the could get a lot of tax.

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  13. Prohibition was the government removing alcohol in the u.s. Peaple took atchin by dumping the alcohol down the drane. their was people like AL Capone that helped boot leg it.

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  14. Are there any comparisons or connections that you can make between prohibition of the 1920's and today?
    I think that the Prohibition was a failed because. The population tried to see if they could ban alcohol, because they thought that alcohol was one of the reasons for a lot of criminality. So they did a lot of demonstration against the government, and in the 18th there came stronger rules against alcohol. But after they gained the law against alcohol the criminality got worse. A lot people started to break the laws, because they thought it was a stupid idea and they could earn lot money, via selling he alcohol to other people, because the population really wanted to break the new rules against banned alcohol. Also because alcohol had been in their culture since they were born. I think this situation have a connection to today, because you can’t drink alcohol before 21 years old, and because of that, a lot young people break the rules and don’t care about how much criminality they provide. But I know, in my country alcohol is legal and we don’t have that much criminality, because people don’t have the need to break the rules, because it’s already legal. That’s why I think the prohibition was a failed, because the banned it, but instead the criminality stop, the people had the more need to break the rules and there became more criminality.

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  15. Are there any comparisons or connections that you can make between prohibition of the 1920's and today?
    I think that the Prohibition was a failed because. The population tried to see if they could ban alcohol, because they thought that alcohol was one of the reasons for a lot of criminality. So they did a lot of demonstration against the government, and in the 18th there came stronger rules against alcohol. But after they gained the law against alcohol the criminality got worse. A lot people started to break the laws, because they thought it was a stupid idea and they could earn lot money, via selling he alcohol to other people, because the population really wanted to break the new rules against banned alcohol. Also because alcohol had been in their culture since they were born. I think this situation have a connection to today, because you can’t drink alcohol before 21 years old, and because of that, a lot young people break the rules and don’t care about how much criminality they provide. But I know, in my country alcohol is legal and we don’t have that much criminality, because people don’t have the need to break the rules, because it’s already legal. That’s why I think the prohibition was a failed, because the banned it, but instead the criminality stop, the people had the more need to break the rules and there became more criminality.

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  16. Prohibition occured on January 16, 1920 and alcohol was prohibited in the United States. Many woman reformer's blamed wife beating, violence, child abuse, and some politicians and industrialists for example Henry Ford were worried it would affect work labor. I think that Prohibition, at first was believed to be a good idea, but after people or companies that were for alcohol, for example the brewing industry started to protest and say that the brewing industry payed more for the war than liberty bonds. After created, alcohol did not completely disappear. Smuggling, and bootlegging occured afterwards because alcohol is what made the people happy or as a form of truimph. With smuggling and bootlegging, came more politicsl issue's and violence which is why this law was created in the first place. In the end, I believe that prohibition was not a good idea. For many reason's, because more violence and political issue's occured and the U.S started to loose more money. In the year 1933 is when prohibition was dropped because it did not end to come into America's favor.

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  17. Was it a good idea? Is banning cellphones a good idea? No it was not a good idea, nor is banning cellphones. Prohibition was a failed effort because it would have costed a LOT of money to enforce the law; $300,000,000, which is equivalent to 3 of Bill Gates house (and he's a multi billionaire), and that is not including today's inflation. With today's inflation, that number would have multiplied by 4. Then you have to spend more on making sure countries of the world doesn't ship some illegally to the USA, then more putting those who violate it in jail, and that cost is very overwhelming.
    Also, it failed because who really wants alcohal banned? They're great party necessities, it's a man's pride, and some taste wonderful. If it did go into effect, parties/gatherings would be extraordinarily boring, men would have nothing but their ego, and nobody would know how barley, carbonated liquid, and alcohal would taste together. Just think, some of the most brilliant minds some from casual drinkers. Without alcohal comes a very imcompetant society, which in terms, restricts progression of the society.

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