Unintended Consequences

I was recently watching an interview with Ken Burns, as he was promoting his new film, "Prohibition." As Mark Twain said, "It is the prohibition that makes anything precious." In other words, ban something people want, and they'll want it even more.

Enacted in January 17, 190, Prohibition had an impact few foresaw. The drys were pitted against the wets, and an anti-saloon movement became huge. It became a battle of city versus country, immigrants versus old Protestant stock.

The law of unintended consequences has no more perfect role model than Prohibition. Crime soared, drinking did as well, and government corruption became endemic.

Although liquor became illegal in 1920, there were many loopholes, including alcoholic "fruit juices", medicinal alcohol and industrial alcohols that were exempt. This led to an unintended consequence of the rise of wine in the U.S. American wine consumption increased from 70 million gallons in 1917 to 150 million gallons in 1925. This also affected agriculture. In California, wine grapes replaced many other crops due to this increase.

Many other unintended consequences arose from Prohibition. Ken Burns pointed out that there are many paralells in society today, where one group is trying to ban something, people take sides, tempers flare, and our country becomes divisive. I'm thinking of things like gun control, Rowe vs. Wade, gay marriage, and legalization of marijuana. These are all issues that divide us, and who knows what the unintended consequences might be if any of these issues became law? (we know what the consequences of Rowe vs. Wade have been). It's an interesting subject, and the conversation just reminded me that there are often unintended consequences not only to new law, but often to things we do in everyday life, and all the consequences are not good. It's like I always told my kids when they were young. "Think about the consequences of what you're going to say BEFORE you say it."