We're a little late to the party with this one but Nick Gillespie of Reason.tv sits down to talk to Burns about his three-part documentary, Prohibition, the last leg of which airs tonight on PBS. (Video: 13 minutes)
Slavery was our worst idea. I'm not sure I'd put prohibition second but it's really up there.
What struck us is that Prohibition was enabled by probably the broadest and most diverse political coalitions of social conservative and progressive factions ever assembled in American politics. We suppose that if you are going to ban booze in this great country of ours, you'd better have all your bases covered.
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3 comments:
"Our" worst idea? So slavery was invented in America?
America inherited slavery and then ended it worldwide. Maybe burns could watch a documentary on it and get up to speed.
Chuck, thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Technically, you are correct. Slavery was being practiced both here and abroad for many, many years before we became a nation.
Speaking for Burns, perhaps he was attempting to convey a sense of ownership this country had of this grotesque practice for the first 90 years of its existence.
Who asked the happy hour crowd?
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