The State and its lackeys work diligently to prove to us that they only have our “best interests” at heart. They care so much for us that they have constructed laws to protect us from ourselves. Never mind that these laws are so selective (i.e., alcohol is good, marijuana is bad) that even the most hard-hearted statist can see through their charade.
When the State decides that something people desire is “harmful” and needs to be regulated, a black market often develops to provide for the demand. Recent history has shown us that this void is filled by people who are forced to use violence to protect their businesses from not only rival competition, but the “troops” the State puts on the streets to “war” against the “economy” they’ve created.
I recently heard, “if it weren’t for the I.R.S they never would’ve stopped Al Capone.” Well, if it weren’t for Prohibition we never would’ve heard of him!
Prohibition not only creates an underground market but it also leads to issues with quality control. An acquaintance told me recently that a high school friend of his got a hold of some bad “moonshine” and was in the hospital suffering delusions. That’s today, when alcohol is legal. Go read some of the stories from the Twenties, it’s horrifying.
Prohibition by the State has proven to be more dangerous to life and liberty than any Free Market.
