Insidious government is insidious
Dry January is a thing here. Or perhaps an attempted thing. It can be hard to tell how much of a public health campaign is genuine, how much it’s working and how much it’s just one more scolding voice in the howling cacophony of government nannying.
Dry January is funded by an organization called Alcohol Concern, which is a fake charity. Fake charities are a thing here, too.
Here’s how it works:
►Government wants people to, say, drink less
►Up pops a charity, say, Citizens Concerned that Government is not Doing Enough to Make People Drink Less
►All of CCGDEMPDL’s funding, somehow, comes from the government itself
►CCGDEMPDL spends the money lobbying government to do that thing government wanted to do in the first place
Ultimately, if it hangs in there long enough, CCGDEMPDL may get some corporate sponsors or even individual donors, but government remains its biggest benefactor. So it’s government lobbying government to do things government wants to do. Meanwhile, out go big wads of public money, in come a few more cushy jobs for cronies in the governing class.
Astroturf.
I made it almost all the way through (my not entirely) Dry January before I discovered Ginuary! Business lobbying me to buy products so they can make money — that familiar old relationship seems downright wholesome by comparison.
Posted: January 27th, 2016 under government, personal.
Comments: 13
Comments
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: January 27, 2016, 9:16 pm
I’ll be looking for “Citizens Concerned that Govt is Not Doing Enough to Shut Down Fake Govt-Funded Fake Charities that are Fake. Did We Mention They’re Fake?”
Now, try to get a grant so CCTGINDETSDFGFFCTARDWMTF can start paying their directors and maybe even record a Public Service Announcement or three.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: January 27, 2016, 9:22 pm
On a happier note, while poking around, I found a pretty good site called harridanic.com. About the nanny state. Could come in handy.
Here is their page on Alcohol Concern.
Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: January 27, 2016, 10:53 pm
I, meanwhile, carried on boozing away.
I just watch them come and go…
Comment from Anonymous
Time: January 27, 2016, 10:57 pm
I drank some hard cider t’other day; there goes my dry January!
Comment from Deborah HH
Time: January 27, 2016, 11:17 pm
Ginuary! Cheers!
Comment from ExpressoBold
Time: January 27, 2016, 11:41 pm
I made it almost all the way through (my not entirely) Dry January…
.
Ummmm….. wut?
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: January 28, 2016, 12:55 am
I just shrug and say –
“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy“, swirl the ice in my glass, and walk away.
If pushed to be concerned about other people, I follow up with,
“I am not my brother’s Barkeeper“
Comment from Armybrat
Time: January 28, 2016, 1:02 am
I”m giving my liver a little holiday after spending most of January boozing my way across Florida. Frankly, I”m amazed my liver could still manage a binge like that!
Comment from dissent555
Time: January 28, 2016, 4:06 am
Hey Uncle Al, I’ll bet ya a couple bucks that that acronym of yours actually means something in Welsh.
Comment from mojo
Time: January 28, 2016, 4:14 am
I thought it meant a forecast of no rain.
Well, I did.
Comment from Anonymous
Time: January 28, 2016, 5:49 am
Welsh.
Bwahahahahaha!
Comment from Tom
Time: January 28, 2016, 10:12 am
I’ve had an unintentional mostly dry January on account of… an eyelid infection, requiring surgery, requiring drugs that don’t play well with licker (not fatal, just reduces effectiveness so idiotic to indulge).
I plan to compensate with a “Completely F***ed-Up February!”, or as close as I can get while remaining gainfully employed and not leaving my wife to do the house\kid related work*.
*That would be far more fatal to my longevity than any drug\alcohol interaction.
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