Dishonesty and Deception Among Alcohol Partisans
The "Annual Alcohol Law Symposium" sounds pretty important.
Alcohol law is pretty serious stuff, impacts just about everyone in the land, and is an important field in the area of law. So it should be that an "Annual Alcohol Law Symposium" ought to be organized by an equally important sounding "Center for Alcohol Policy".
But here's my question: How can such an important sounding symposium, produced by such an important sounding organization, present a list of symposium speakers that counts among them NOT A SINGLE advocate for consumer rights and interests?
Every single person on the list of speakers for the upcoming Annual Alcohol Law Symposium is on record as opposing any consumer-centric reforms to the alcohol legal system and alcohol regulations or any easing of alcohol delivery laws and laws that make access to the growing array of wine, beer and spirits in America easier for consumers.
How could this be? Are not all laws an regulations on the books in every state concerning alcohol placed there by representatives of the people (ie: Consumers)? Is not every single law on the books in every single state concerning alcohol not put there for the benefit of the individual? How could it be that not ONE SINGLE speaker at this conference has a history for standing up for the consumer?
Here's the answer to that question:
The Center for Alcohol Policy is a creature of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), perhaps the single most anti-alcohol consumer organization in America. These are the folks that worked for years to try an pass a law in Congress that would have led to restrictions across the country in how wine lovers access the wines they want. These are the folks that lobby for more restrictions on how consumers access alcohol by giving millions of dollars to politicians in Washington, DC an the states.
It's kinda hard to find a reference to the fact that the National Beer Wholesalers Association controls the Center for Alcohol Policy. In fact, access to this fact on their website is pretty well hidden. And one doesn't hide that fact accidentally. It's purposeful. And the reason for this purposeful deception is because were it a front-and-center fact that this Center for Alcohol Policy is really a creation of a bunch of wholesaler middlemen, the Center for Alcohol Policy would lose any credibility it hoped to gain by appearing objective and non-partisan and interest-less.
This kind of deception is not unheard of in politics. And make no mistake, this "symposium" is all about politics. The Center for Alcohol Policy describes itself as an "organization that educates policymakers,
regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and its regulation."
Why doesn't it also describe itself as "a tool of alcohol wholesalers seeking to prevent any reform to alcohol-related laws that don't benefit wholesalers"?
That kind of honesty would, well, be a bit too honest, wouldn't it.
That would be “anti-consumer alcohol organization” I think. And I believe it is entirely appropriate to call them all “tools.”
Thanks for keeping it honest and real Tom. I always learn something on the regulatory landscape when I read your blog.
Well this thing is very natural and warned by many doctors around the world. Having excessive alcohol can cause loss of memory, can make you lazy, can make you an addict, can make you to follow the wrong path.
That would be “anti-consumer liquor organization” I think. And I believe it is entirely appropriate to contact them all “tools.”