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America has a drinking problem

theatlantic.com

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Re: America has a drinking problem

#661

Post by tick_tock_tick »

capableweb wrote: post #656
Wxc2jjJmST9XWWL wrote: post #636

Whenever I explain the "USA" to (Eastern) Europeans, I always simply state the notion: "diverse country of the extremes". Yes, widespread obesity, but health obsessions also run deep in that country, gym memberships, elite universities with sports programs full of money. How many weird diet fads start basically in the US? Self-help books, alternative gurus, etc. Bad education? Yes, pretty much. But also some of the b…

Neither of the things you've listed sounds like diversity, it sounds like inequality. Why is half the country without proper education while the other ones are in the best research institutions in the world? And what does the people are those institutions spend their time on, if it's not helping the other half reaching the same position as themselves? The social experiment seems to be about how extreme you can really…

Inequality does create diversity as it gives people a vastly different life experiences.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#662

Post by leokennis »

RalfWausE wrote: post #641
fy20 wrote: post #543

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If anything your comment just reinforces how much of a problem it is, and how deeply it is engrained in society. If sugary processed foods had been developed 5000 years ago, would you be saying the same about those today? You are associating alcohol == good times, which if you want to do so is fine (we are adults, we have free will), but know that you can have good times without alcohol as well. They aren't mutually…

I think the biggest problem the western societies have today is: Finding problems everywhere. Ok, i am from germany, so i assume my views on alcohol probably differ a lot from the view most americans have. Here, it is totally fine for a 16 year old to buy and drink wine or beer. It is totally unproblematic if you enjoy a few beers with your friends in the park... and the alcohol ban in public some cities acted caused…

I'm from The Netherlands. I won't throw a fit to get anyone to stop drinking. But it's pretty obvious that drinking, even one beer per day, on a societal scale leads to more obesity, more sickness, more violence etc. And the accompanying healthcare, police etc. spending.

Again, drink if you want. It's allowed. But don't pretend that it is unproblematic/healthy/natural/without consequences.

Just admit (or at least do not deny) that by drinking, you're making an (indirect) withdrawal from the community fund. Just like people who drive a car, people who hunt for fun, people who smoke etc.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#663

Post by dash2 »

I haven't seen in the comments just what a horrible, cruel disease alcoholism is.

An ex-girlfriend's father was an alcoholic. He went out one day on a binge and came back with Korsakoff syndrome. Korsakoff syndrome causes apathy: it removes your emotions. He no longer spoke, except in monosyllables if spoken to. He wouldn't or couldn't feed himself. He sat all day at the kitchen table. His family took care of him. That's his life now! His daughter wonders sometimes what he thinks about her, if he does think.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#664

Post by oezi »

swebs wrote: post #634
panzagl wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We simply choose healthier behaviors. Hmm, I wonder where your desire to choose healthier behaviors came from...

Doctors? Research studies? Not from some 16th century English religious movement. I don't know why so many people on this site try to harp on this.

Your parent says that it is part of the Puritan ideal to be healthy more so than maybe in other religions or belief systems.

He is suggesting your desire to be healthy comes from this.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#665

Post by victorp13 »

I'm curious as to what the movie/tv industry's role is in this increase in solitary drinking. I was an active 'solo' drinker as well, who recently stopped altogether. Since I stopped I've noticed something peculiar that I wonder if other people noticed as well: A lot of TV shows and movies contain scenes where alcohol is being positioned as a "fix" for something.

- Just had a tough situation? Have a drink!

- Feeling anxious? A drink takes the edge off!

- Feeling awkward at a social event? Drink!

Now, I have people working in the alcohol industry who insist that there is no direct product placement or company sponsoring going on. This seems believable, because oftentimes there are no specific brands mentioned in these scenes.

However, this did get me thinking: Is there any alcohol lobby that influences writers to include these types of "benefits of alcohol" scenes into their scripts? When you start to recognise them, you'll notice that a lof of these scenes are entirely unnecessary, to the point where you have to think that a script writer had to deliberately add the alcohol into the scene!

Re: America has a drinking problem

#666

Post by refurb »

Wxc2jjJmST9XWWL wrote: post #636

Whenever I explain the "USA" to (Eastern) Europeans, I always simply state the notion: "diverse country of the extremes". Yes, widespread obesity, but health obsessions also run deep in that country, gym memberships, elite universities with sports programs full of money. How many weird diet fads start basically in the US? Self-help books, alternative gurus, etc. Bad education? Yes, pretty much. But also some of the b…

I think the media coverage has twisted your view of the US. As someone who immigrated to the US, if you travel the country it seems like any other country. Rich people and poor people. Left wing and right wing. Religious and the atheists.

I mean Americans could list a similar number of stereotypes about the British (for example), but if you’ve ever visited there you’d realize they’re not that different than anyone else.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#667

Post by roland35 »

Sophistifunk wrote: post #423

People have the cause and effect backwards in my opinion. You know why "binge drinking" isn't a problem in Germany, except for when the Australians turn up for Oktoberfest? It's because you can just buy a beer on the side of the road with your currywurst, and drink it without being hassled. If you act up, you get arrested for acting up. Try openly having a few beers in the park in Australia or the US, you'll be run o…

Some people are just wired differently and are more or less susceptible to alcohol addiction.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#668

Post by Broken_Hippo »

tick_tock_tick wrote: post #661
capableweb wrote: post #656

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neither of the things you've listed sounds like diversity, it sounds like inequality. Why is half the country without proper education while the other ones are in the best research institutions in the world? And what does the people are those institutions spend their time on, if it's not helping the other half reaching the same position as themselves? The social experiment seems to be about how extreme you can really…

Inequality does create diversity as it gives people a vastly different life experiences.

While that is technically true, it doesn't create the type of diversity you can really tap into since some folks are too poor to realistically participate in society, and a lot of society is too segregated for different viewpoints to be in the same place.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#669

Post by RalfWausE »

leokennis wrote: post #662
RalfWausE wrote: post #641

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the biggest problem the western societies have today is: Finding problems everywhere. Ok, i am from germany, so i assume my views on alcohol probably differ a lot from the view most americans have. Here, it is totally fine for a 16 year old to buy and drink wine or beer. It is totally unproblematic if you enjoy a few beers with your friends in the park... and the alcohol ban in public some cities acted caused…

I'm from The Netherlands. I won't throw a fit to get anyone to stop drinking. But it's pretty obvious that drinking, even one beer per day, on a societal scale leads to more obesity, more sickness, more violence etc. And the accompanying healthcare, police etc. spending. Again, drink if you want. It's allowed. But don't pretend that it is unproblematic/healthy/natural/without consequences. Just admit (or at least do…

That is what i want to say: Everything has consequeces! Nothing good comes without the bad, you will have to "pay a price" for everything... even when the "price" is a less enjoyed life ;-)

What really bothers me is that it seems that the western culture is (at least from my perspective) striving to become a totally clean, political correct, vegan, moral and abstinent society. Something like the society in "Demoliton Man". I really, really dont want to life in such an society...

Re: America has a drinking problem

#670

Post by Broken_Hippo »

SilverRed wrote: post #504
Sophistifunk wrote: post #423

People have the cause and effect backwards in my opinion. You know why "binge drinking" isn't a problem in Germany, except for when the Australians turn up for Oktoberfest? It's because you can just buy a beer on the side of the road with your currywurst, and drink it without being hassled. If you act up, you get arrested for acting up. Try openly having a few beers in the park in Australia or the US, you'll be run o…

The public drinking laws are not because the government thinks the average person can't be trusted. It's because the homeless population has a large drinking problem and it often results in people getting assaulted on the street. These laws let the police do something about this before it results in harm.

This certainly does not explain having such laws in the vast areas of the US that doesn't have such a homeless problem. While I know there are homeless folks everywhere, it isn't such an issue to pass special drinking laws.

I think your drinking laws are more rooted in conservative Christianity and disdain for poor folks that might just drink up their welfare money somehow.

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