5/12/2023 0 Comments Last call prohibition![]() ![]() ![]() World War I created a surfeit of patriotism, a willingness to sacrifice, and an embrace of the expansion of federal power. Women's suffrage made it politically feasible. ![]() The introduction of the income tax made Prohibition fiscally feasible. "Figuring per capita," Okrent writes, "multiply the amount Americans drink today by three and you'll have an idea what much of the nineteenth century was like." Alcohol, seen as a major scourge of civil society, looked ripe for a once-and-for-all ban that would put mankind on a new course. At the same time as temperance was flowering, so were crusades for clean water and sanitation, which saved millions of lives. … Last Call does a lot to help situate the impulses of the era, and yes, make them seem a little less crazy. My review, in the latest Business Week, is here. ![]()
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