Has anyone considered what effect unintentional and unplanned sobriety (both alcohol and psychotropics) might have on our populace? Would our gummint have reservations about our being trashed or even high during stressful times?

Could people get along with each other without having a buzz? In general, that is. Not you.

I think alcohol is probably top 20 on the list of stuff that Koskinen's going to commandeer. Then smokes. Talk about effective co-operation carrots.

-- Lisa (lisa@nymore.toohot), February 04, 1999

Answers

Coffee might be critical -- I've known people who get major headaches if they only miss the morning cuppa. I've head of some who get grouchy, too.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), February 04, 1999.

There were news reports last fall about Russian schoolteachers being paid in vodka. I can see it now..."pssst, buddy--got any more of that Ol' Federal Reserve in your flask?" Or maybe cans of Budweiser will become the new units of currency exchange when the banks fold. Give a new meaning to the term 'liquidity.'

-- Spidey (in@ajam.com), February 04, 1999.

That's why I'll be laying aside a nice little supply of flexible copper pipe and associated junk...makes good fuel too..

-- Nope (not@thistime.no), February 04, 1999.

Interesting question Lisa. But what about the *real* drug problem in the US? Do you know how many citizens are absolutely dependent on pharmaceuticals? (I don't know the exact percentage, either, but it's a shit-load.)

Running out of beer, reefer, Starbucks, etc. will make a lot of folks cranky. But what happens when Grandma can't get her blood-pressure pills? Or Grandpa can't get his heart meds? Or the zillions of others who will go flat-line without their scripts? Now you're talking major catastrophe.

-- Q-ball (q@q.q), February 04, 1999.

Q-ball: (cool handle there)

Agreed, the pharmaceutical issue is tantamount and distressing. Hell, everything's distressing about 2000.

I'm thinking about the original Prohibition and the huge, unintended consequences it begat. I don't think, as a nation, we'd voluntarily agree to go dry until things "blow over".

-- Lisa (lisa@work.com), February 04, 1999.

There are a lot of people who can't get along without their chocolate or coca-cola .My mother tried to kick sweets and after two days we were BEGGING her to eat a candy bar.She was waaaay past grouchy !

-- Littlrsister (Littlesister123@yahoo.com), February 04, 1999.

East Friesians crave tea as much as the English and Dutch. Since Ma and Aunt Adele thought that the farmers would have pity on us, they asked Little brother and me to solicit them for milk. Or they were too embarrassed to beg themselves. We offered them tea or money and usually received a liter or two for one tea bag.

Ma traded a pack of cigarettes for a black chicken. I misunderstood her name Gretchen, called her Gettchen, and was very protective of her. When the neighbor's rooster mounted her, pecked at her comb, and somewhere else, I courageously chased him off with a stick.

Fortunately Ma also had bartered for one dozen brown eggs that were fertilized. Gettchen patiently hatched them and created twelve baby chicks, all hens and no roosters. Remembering the good old days, Ma wrote me years later:

" It was a miracle that these eggs all hatched females, and we lived a long time from our Chickens of Luck, for we had no other income; Pa never gave us anything. We used our excess eggs for bartering and these chickens provided the greatest source of income."

-- Not Again! (seenit@ww2.com), February 04, 1999.

Well I'll probably get flamed off this forum for posting this, but I really don't give a shit. I plan on growing lots of pot this summer to have for barter and personal use for Y2K. Pot is a wonderful pain killer and is also good for an upset stomach. If there are no medicines available after 2000 for awhile then pot would be of great use for women during child birth etc.. Now don't give me that just say no to drugs republican bullshit. That's just the type of thinking that the pharmaceutical companies with the help of big govt. have pushed on the American people. I'm a professional business owner that smokes a little weed every evening. I've been doing it for 17 years and I'm not a drooling idiot yet. Marijuana is a passive non-addictive plant with many uses that has been completely villified by the press and our government. I honestly think that the pot I am going to grow this summer will be of benefit to many people if we have shortages of medicines.

-- pothead (grotech@aol.com), February 04, 1999.

What makes you think it is "Republican bullshit?" I'm Republican and I think the "War On Drugs" is bullshit and a Democrat (read commie) idea, with turncoat Republicans thrown in. It's all Bullshit. "Money talks and cash is king listen to them greenbacks sing...penny for your thoughts of green..."

-- freeman (freeman@cali.com), February 04, 1999.

Talk about vulnerable supply chains and addictions and consider that coffee, tea and cocoa for chocolate are all sourced far away and you may be focusing on the best barter "money" available for trade.

-- Watchful (seethesea@msn.com), February 04, 1999.

Freeman, the war on drugs was first uttered by the ever senile Reagan. In 1986 he signed into law the comprehensive crime act. With the swipe of his pen Reagan took away more of our rights than any other president in the history of America. This group of laws was touted as being important to fight drugs,while in reality it brought in barbaric forfiture laws, manditory minimums, and a host of other police state tactics. I don't mean to be a Republican basher. It made no difference weather a Republican or Democrate was in the white house at that period of time, because these are the laws that were desired by the global elites. The Committee of 300, Club of Rome etc. are the real enemies of America. Klinton is a perfect example of a politically groomed aristocrat of the global elite. He was even educated at their university of choice. I personally wonder what impact Y2K is going to have on the elite's and their plans.

-- Pothead (grotech@aol.com), February 04, 1999.

>> It made no difference weather a Republican or Democrate was in the white house at that period of time, because these are the laws that were desired by the global elites. The Committee of 300, Club of Rome etc. are the real enemies of America. Klinton is a perfect example of a politically groomed aristocrat of the global elite. He was even educated at their university of choice. I personally wonder what impact Y2K is going to have on the elite's and their plans.

Give that pothead a big, green cigar!

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), February 04, 1999.

Better watch yourself, Pothead!

The first of the post-Y2K alphabet agencies, the B-MAT (Bureau of Marijuanna, Alcohol and Tobacco) could have you as the first citizen on their "to do" list when they set out to collect the first year's tax on domestically-produced "vice products". Just the way the "revenuers" did things back during the post American Revoliution period that led to the "Whiskey Rebellion".

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), February 04, 1999.

Interesting.

the problems noted will, of course, lessen the survival chances of those effected by them. Anyone have any thoughts on how much of an affect there might be?

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), February 05, 1999.

Pothead, E. Coli,

I concur with your posts. If the politicians are not abiding by the Consitution they are against US(A).

-- freeman (freeman@cali.com), February 05, 1999.