Tuesday
State v. Society
Hey! A columnist at the New York Times understands the important Nockian distinction between "social power" and "state power" and the related phenomenon that, when state power goes up, social power goes down. Alright, the columnist is Ross Douthat, who can be expected to understand such things, but at least such a distinction is getting aired in a mainstream rag:
When government expands, it's often at the expense of alternative expressions of community, alternative groups that seek to serve the common good. Unlike most communal organizations, the government has coercive power – the power to regulate, to mandate and to tax. These advantages make it all too easy for the state to gradually crowd out its rivals. The more things we “do together” as a government, in many cases, the fewer things we're allowed to do together in other spheres.
The Drinker and the Man
The concept behind this article is great: What a Man's Choice in Beer Reveals About His Personality. The application, unfortunately, is wretched. The Budweiser drinker is all-American and the Blue Moon drinker is a tree hugger? Yikes. Allow me a few different applications:
Budweiser: This guy doesn't drink beer and, when he does, he drinks something else. When they didn't have it, he just shrugged and said, "Gimmme a Bud." He likes the Clydesdales.
Miller Lite: This guy just wants a beer that he can drink in fairly-copious quantities without getting too fat. He doesn't want a lecture and he doesn't want a tasting experience. He might want to get drunk, but after that, he's the kind that minds his own business.
Heineken: See the link to the story. The writer was spot-on with this one.
Craft Beer: An enigma. You don't know what's motivating him. It could be beer snobbery. It could be taste. It could be cowardice (hang-over avoidance). It could be enjoyment with experimentation. You have to watch him for awhile to figure out where he falls.
Natural Light: The impecunious. This dude has no money.
Milwaukee's Best Ice: This dude has no money and wants to get drunk. He's short on taste buds, too.
Colt 45: Over 40 and African-American. . . . or under 18 and white.
