Now it’s quite possible that I’m overly cynical and supicious, but I can’t help wondering if Brewdogs recent seemingly successful campaign to allow beer to be sold in Schooners is all that it seems. After all this is notionally a campaign run mainly by a single small brewing company (They make excellent beer but they’re not a big company), which as far as I recall didn’t make the national press or even reach the public conscience (A google search returns very few results prior to the announced change in law), yet reportedly in October the Government wasn’t going to do anything then a mere two months later and they’re ready to debate the law. Given how little attention the government ever pays to the wishes of the people I’m suspicious. Oh and here look back in 2009 the cold dead hand of the EU, but this way of course they can claim it was in response to public demand and not just doing as the EU tells them.
But as I say I’m a suspicious so and so, and can’t help but wonder if these smaller measure might be part of a “nudge” to stop us drinking. After all they must be getting to about done with smoking and there’s the worries about second hand drinking. And yep here’s the Guardian welcoming the measure:
“the pint has been part of the fabric of our national identity for at least 300 years. In 1698, an act of parliament declared that ale and beer (beer used hops and ales didn’t: a now defunct distinction) should only be served in pints, full quarts (two pints) or multiples thereof: the legal foundations of this great binge-drinking nation were laid.”
And a bit further down:
“Of course, there is more behind the government’s plans than a desire to please us glass enthusiasts: a larger plan to “nudge” British drinkers into healthier habits, “
See the pint is the problem, if only beer was sold in smaller measures there wouldn’t be a problem (as despite their best effort they can’t set minimum prices). So how long before they start denormalising the drinking of a pint? For my money I expect to see adverts within the year features tear stained terrified children begging their father not to drink a full pint but just to have two thirds, probably run in conjunction with bar staff being encouraged to ask if we’d like two thirds instead of a pint, and beautiful trendy people asking for the latest designer rats-piss to be served in suitably trendy smaller glasses? They of course won’t ban it as that’d mean loosing all that lovely tax revenue (as LegIron so often observes. If these adverts haven’t started appearing by November the 5th and you’re on the annual stroll I’ll buy you a pint. (I do wonder when they’ll start going for the homebrew kits and the like).
By coincidence the independent has a rather good article about why this shit works (it’s all Stanley Milgram’s fault). As The Nameless Libertarian once observed they’ve got an idea of the perfect citizen and we’re going to get nudged into compliance one way or another. As Anna Racoon says “given a chance they would like to ban Brussels Sprouts next. “.
Update And by great coincidence LegIron has news of another nudge for the drinkers.
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Since I last muttered about Archbishops Cranmers campaign to tell the census takers to “Mind their own business” , he’s been asked quite a few questions about the census generally and his campaign which he answers here. The main point of which is really that if we don’t start telling them “no” at some point then they’ll never stop, or as he puts it:
