• sewer_rat_420 [he/him, any]@hexbear.net
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    9 days ago

    Unfortunately updating the constitution requires support from 75% of state legislatures. Since our politics are perfectly split into a duopoly, there is no way for any amendment to get passed as long as either party is against it. In truth, Democrats are to weak or just to invested in the status quo to want to push for any constitutional reforms anyway

      • CTHlurker [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        9 days ago

        Tbf that one was mostly due to anti-immigrant racism, which makes practically any political program go down a lot easier. And specifically anti-german and anti-irish racism played REALLY well in the bible belt.

        • Z_Poster365 [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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          9 days ago

          It also coincided with suffrage and women first entering the voting blocs, and women were overwhelmingly sick and tired of their abusive drunk ass male relatives and husbands.

          America did (and does) have a massive alcoholism problem. Prohibition wasn’t the correct way to address it, but it’s understandable when like half the population are violent drunken slobs.

          • GrouchyGrouse [he/him]@hexbear.net
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            9 days ago

            Conditions at that time were abhorrent and people were even rationed whiskey at work to make it more tolerable. Its just that alcohol was cheap and plentiful. Look up the gin epidemic in England. Cheap hard liquor hit their working class like a freight train.

            • Z_Poster365 [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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              9 days ago

              True. I was referring to anecdotes I had read of Bleeding Kansas, a bit before prohibition, where literally all the combatants on the slavery side were constantly shitfaced and killing civilians. Like there was an entire class of guy who was just drunk and violent 24/7