Topic: PBS Documentary: Prohibition

[trapeze]

I found this link at HotAir. It's for a NYPost story about the PBS documentary about Prohibition. I am recording it right now so that I can see it later. I will comment further after seeing it.

Why is this of note? Well, read the story.

[trapeze]

Well, I watched most of episode 1 and it is, as one might expect from a Ken Burns production, very well done. It is, as the article indicates, quite the indictment of lib/progressive over-reach. Of particular interest to me was how the libs corrupted turn of the century public schools in their anti-alcohol crusade in much the same way they have used today's public school systems. They truly have no shame and will never allow the truth to get in the way of their goals.

The work that the libs have done against tobacco in recent years is quite the parallel to what they did with alcohol. The same basic game plan is being followed with other consumables such as foods with high fat content. The same for the environment in general and global warming in particular.

The left wing leaders know their history. They know what has worked for them in the past and they duplicate the strategy for everything that they want to destroy...mainly freedom and liberty.

[trapeze]

Another interesting point made in both the article and the documentary is how the twin progressive goals of both prohibition and wealth re-distribution were realized with the creation of the income tax. I was completely ignorant of just how much revenue for the federal government was derived from pre-prohibition alcohol taxes. The income tax was pushed by the forces of prohibition to be a substitute for the alcohol tax. Of course, when prohibition was repealed and alcohol taxes were re-imposed, income taxes stayed. Think of that and O'BamaCare taxes.

[IronDioPriest]

Jeez, all this in a Ken Burns documentary on PBS? Sounds more like an episode of Glenn Beck!

[trapeze]

One other observation: The narrator goes out of his way to blame both Democrats and Republicans for the loss of freedom that prohibition represented. What is strange for a PBS offering is the very clear indictment of progressivism. Perhaps Ken Burns couldn't figure out a way to avoid that admission and stay historically correct...don't know. But it is, nevertheless, a stark reminder that progressives are present in both parties and that that is where the battle lies: between progressivism and liberty, between liberals and conservatives. If we remember nothing else of history we must remember that.

[trapeze]

Jeez, all this in a Ken Burns documentary on PBS? Sounds more like an episode of Glenn Beck!

I don't know if you can still catch the first episode but record it if you can. There are at least three more coming up right away. And yeah, it is astonishing...that broken clock/blind squirrel & acorn/blue moon kinda thing.

[Sectionhand]

The left wing leaders know their history. They know what has worked for them in the past and they duplicate the strategy for everything that they want to destroy...mainly freedom and liberty.

The one thing they don't like to mention is the meteoric rise in organized crime which resulted from the Volstead Act and which , like the increase in taxes , is still with us . Prohibitions of otherwise and formerly legal activities leads to immeasureable problems far and away worse than those the prohibitions supposedly eliminate . It's also a well known fact that F.D.R. and others in the Liberal Elite certainly didn't go without their booze during the long dry season of Prohibition .

The stupidity and damage done by Social Engineering is astounding .

[RickZ]

I saw this via BigJournalism.

Jeez, all this in a Ken Burns documentary on PBS? Sounds more like an episode of Glenn Beck!

Yep, Ken's a lefty, but I will say his Civil War documentary was fanstastic.

As for progressivism, it infected -- and still infects -- both parties.  Anyone for social engineering of any kind, to me, is a progressive.  Teddy Roosevelt was an elite Republican progressive.

[Libertas]

I saw this via BigJournalism.

Jeez, all this in a Ken Burns documentary on PBS? Sounds more like an episode of Glenn Beck!

Yep, Ken's a lefty, but I will say his Civil War documentary was fanstastic.

As for progressivism, it infected -- and still infects -- both parties.  Anyone for social engineering of any kind, to me, is a progressive.  Teddy Roosevelt was an elite Republican progressive.

All true.  While Teddy might not have been the red-meat progressive characterizing the Left as we know it, he did find it politically advantageous to ride that populist theme.  There is much to admire Teddy for in terms of foreign policy and beefing up the navy, but his progressive policies left a mark and formed the foundation for much of the conservationist crap we see today dominated (hijacked if you will) by the likes of all the eco-terrorists.

[trapeze]

The left wing leaders know their history. They know what has worked for them in the past and they duplicate the strategy for everything that they want to destroy...mainly freedom and liberty.

The one thing they don't like to mention is the meteoric rise in organized crime which resulted from the Volstead Act and which , like the increase in taxes , is still with us . Prohibitions of otherwise and formerly legal activities leads to immeasureable problems far and away worse than those the prohibitions supposedly eliminate . It's also a well known fact that F.D.R. and others in the Liberal Elite certainly didn't go without their booze during the long dry season of Prohibition .

The stupidity and damage done by Social Engineering is astounding .

That is supposed to be addressed in the next one or two episodes. Set your DVRs.

[trapeze]

I saw this via BigJournalism.

Jeez, all this in a Ken Burns documentary on PBS? Sounds more like an episode of Glenn Beck!

Yep, Ken's a lefty...

Which is what makes this documentary all the more remarkable...it outs the progressives for the meddlers that they were and are.

[LadyVirginia]

According to Big Hollywood,  Burns thinks he's telling the story of the damage single issue politics causes -- his concern?   immigration.

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/cftoto/2011/10/03/ken-burns-prohibition-movement-akin-to-todays-demonization-of-immigrants/

[Libertas]

And this clown is supposed to understand nuance?  He can't tell the nuance between being anti-illegal immigrant and legal/front door immigrant?

If that's true then he is a disingenuous fool at best!

[Sectionhand]

And this clown is supposed to understand nuance?  He can't tell the nuance between being anti-illegal immigrant and legal/front door immigrant?

If that's true then he is a disingenuous fool at best!

They attempt to frame the issue by portraying us as  "Anti-Immigration" when nothing could be further from the truth . Of course the lefties have never let the truth stand in the way of their agenda .

[Libertas]

And this clown is supposed to understand nuance?  He can't tell the nuance between being anti-illegal immigrant and legal/front door immigrant?

If that's true then he is a disingenuous fool at best!

They attempt to frame the issue by portraying us as  "Anti-Immigration" when nothing could be further from the truth . Of course the lefties have never let the truth stand in the way of their agenda .

I'd like rip their arms off and beat them into a puddle and stuff their agenda where the sun don't shine!

Alas, we are led by gutless wonders so all they'll do is grab their ankles and take it without a fight...