Crass Idiots Of The Day

For fuck’s sake. Just when you think our government has cornered the market of shit policy ideas, a charity goes and betters them. Today’s crass idiots are the *good* people at Alcohol Concern. They want the government to prosecute anybody who lets children drink alcohol – in their own homes. That’s right – Alcohol Concern want to increase the power this control freak government have over us.

"Our report shows that we are simply not doing enough to protect our children from alcohol.”

Yep, the crucial word in that sentence is “our”. Christ on a trike, it is hardly shocking that a charity called Alcohol Concern would be concerned about alcohol. But any report from Alcohol Concern is bound to be biased against alcohol. Just as any report from me is bound to be biased for alcohol.

“Alcohol Concern also wants a 16% rise in alcohol taxes, a ban on brewers selling to retailers at a loss, and a crackdown on under-age alcohol sales.”

As someone who used to work in the retail trade and had kids coming in on the instructions of the police to try to buy booze, I don’t think a further crackdown is needed. But a 16% rise in alcohol taxes is insulting - it wouldn't stop me from drinking, but rather make me whine more at the innocent bar staff about the price of my booze. And a charity should have no right to demand changes to the way the market works. If a company wants to sell alcohol at a loss to retailers, they should be allowed to. It is called the “free market”. Besides, wouldn't a 16% increase in the taxes on booze make companies more likely to sell it at a reduced prive to retailers to shift their product?

“Public health minister Caroline Flint told the BBC she did not think the proposals would be enforceable.”

That is how stupid this proposal is – a Nu Labour minister, a member of the party that has brought us such fucktarded ideas such as the Millenium Dome, ID cards and ASBOs, is saying this policy is not enforceable. And she is absolutely right – the only way this could be enforced is by putting a police officer in each room of each house in the country. The only way this idea could work is by implementing an Orwellian dystopia.

Christ, this sort of idiocy makes me want to go out and binge drink.