4 ms·
Alcohol laws in America are crazy. In Kentucky, there's a joke about how you know you've crossed a county line when the potholes end and the liquor stores begin
by beat 14y ago
Alcohol laws in America are crazy. In Kentucky, there's a joke about how you know you've crossed a county line when the potholes end and the liquor stores begin.
I live in Minnesota, where our liquor laws date back to the era when being a liberal meant you were for women voting and against ANYONE drinking. It was a big deal when we finally got to keep bars open til 2am, a few years back. We can't buy alcohol in stores on sundays, and grocery stores can't sell anything stronger than 3.2 "near beer". You have to go to a real liquor store for even wine and beer, much less hard liquor.
- mikeash 14y agoI never really understood how certain political factions can go on and on about supposed government control over our lives, all while completely ignoring pervasive crazy alcohol laws. Why can't I order beer over the internet? Why do I have to go to a state-owned store to buy vodka? Why don't these people who complain about "big government" ever bring it up?
- steve19 14y agoMy understanding is that incumbents have interests in keeping things the way they are. Some states ban stores buying liquor directly from the manufacturer (in theory to make sure liquor stores don't cheat the state out of tax) thereby creating a state granted monopoly to certain lucky distributors. There are industry lobby groups that oppose liberalizing alcohol law (as are certain conservative lobby groups).
- jacoblyles 14y agoLibertarians bring it up all the time. Here's a quick google search of a libertarian web site for "liquor laws" https://www.google.com/search?q=liquor+site%3Areason.com&aq=f&oq=liquor+site%3Areason.com&aqs=chrome.0.57.6492j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#sclient=psy-ab&q=liquor+laws+site:reason.com&oq=liquor+laws+site:reason.com&gs_l=serp.3...3022.3728.0.3928.5.5.0.0.0.1.150.327.3j1.4.0.epsugrcchtklt..0.0...1.1.12.psy-ab.i2NKA8LaAzU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.46226182,d.cGE&fp=f5869c3bc55e8096&biw=1280&bih=783 https://www.google.com/search?q=liquor+site%3Areason.com&...
- mikeash 14y agoYeah, but libertarians are a pretty small number of people. Most of the "small government" crowd is different, sadly.
- jacoblyles 14y agoMost of the small government crowd is partially libertarian. They ain't perfect, but you can get their votes on a number of libertarian issues. They get a bad rap on the internet because the Republicans (whom they normally vote for) need religious conservatives to make a winning coalition, but they still do good. For example, the only obstacle to the internet sales tax is the House Republican caucus.