Those Who Fought Prohibition

[Nihil Obstat]

I wonder if you would express the same sentiment to someone who tortured a terrorist to extract information to prevent a nuclear bomb from going off in New York.

Absolutely. We can never condone evil. Not for any reason.

[Lilllabettt]

Rum running was a business property of the mob. As Winchester pointed out, the mob was empowered and enriched enormously  during prohibtion with the help of people who sold alcohol for them.Can we do "good" if some of the consequences are gravely evil? 

Edited October 27, 2013 by Lilllabettt

[r2Dtoo]

Absolutely. We can never condone evil. Not for any reason.

 

Actually, that wasn't the part I was talking about.  I was talking about whether or not you would praise it as "heroic".

[Nihil Obstat]

Rum running was a business property of the mob. As Winchester pointed out, the mob was empowered and enriched enormously during prohibtion with the help of people who sold alcohol for them.Can we do "good" if some of the consequences are gravely evil?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Of course our assessment of morality includes the wider circumstances. But they come last, as we are not consequentialists.

[Nihil Obstat]

Actually, that wasn't the part I was talking about. I was talking about whether or not you would praise it as "heroic".

I am afraid I do not follow. Can you clarify?

[4588686]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Of course our assessment of morality includes the wider circumstances. But they come last, as we are not consequentialists.

A moral decision that doesn't take account of the consequences of the action is less than worthless.  

[4588686]

Pragmatism ftw!

[Nihil Obstat]

A moral decision that doesn't take account of the consequences of the action is less than worthless.

Good thing I just said we must consider the moral circumstances of the situation. Refer to that encyclical by John Paul II, the name of which has suddenly escaped me...

[Lilllabettt]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Of course our assessment of morality includes the wider circumstances. But they come last, as we are not consequentialists.

 

 

so what you are saying is - the enrichment and empowerment of a violent depraved criminal organization was justified because it was merely a regrettable consequence of an appropriate resistance to an unjust law.

 

The choice to sell alcohol was heroic -  aside from the fact that the choice also made the choosers a ton of money and furthered the ambitions of the mob.

[Nihil Obstat]

so what you are saying is - the enrichment and empowerment of a violent depraved criminal organization was justified because it was merely a regrettable consequence of an appropriate resistance to an unjust law.

The choice to sell alcohol was heroic - aside from the fact that the choice also made the choosers a ton of money and furthered the ambitions of the mob.

That is funny, I do not actually recall saying that.

[4588686]

so what you are saying is - the enrichment and empowerment of a violent depraved criminal organization was justified because it was merely a regrettable consequence of an appropriate resistance to an unjust law.

 

The choice to sell alcohol was heroic -  aside from the fact that the choice also made the choosers a ton of money and furthered the ambitions of the mob.

 

 

Were it not for Prohibition the mob would not have become ingrained in the popular imagination and we may never have had The Sopranos.  Without The Sopranos and their introduction of the brooding male anti-hero protagonist we probably wouldn't have Madmen or Breaking Bad.  

 

Sacrifices must be made for quality television.  

[Lilllabettt]

 

 

That is funny, I do not actually recall saying that. 

 

Ah. the back peddle.

My suspicion is because you are a Canadian and relatively unfamiliar with American cultural history, you over-applied your ideology to this situation and stepped in it.

I remember a similar situation when you, confusing the American holidays of  Veterans Day and Memorial Day, chose the the latter in which to post about a "real" American hero who gunned down fellow American soldiers as they were massacring some Vietnamese.

There is no shame and much real heroism in admitting you stepped in it, btw.

 

Edited October 27, 2013 by Lilllabettt

[PhuturePriest]

Ah. the back peddle.

My suspicion is because you are a Canadian and relatively unfamiliar with American cultural history, you over-applied your ideology to this situation and stepped in it.

I remember a similar situation when you, confusing the American holidays of  Veterans Day and Memorial Day, chose the the latter in which to post about a "real" American hero who gunned down fellow American soldiers as they were massacring some Vietnamese.

There is no shame and much real heroism in admitting you stepped in it, btw.

 

So, is it heroic if I admit to my mom that it was me who stepped in the mud and got mud tracks all over the house? If so, heroism is stupid.

And yes, I'm trolling.

[Lilllabettt]

 

 This is George Reemus. During prohibition, some alcohol was bonded for medicinal and religious purposes. George hired people to hijack it. He made 40 million in less than 3 yrs, 1 billion adjusted for inflation. 

 

Prohibition Forces of Darkness put him in prison for his heroic deeds.

 

After his martyrdom was over he got out and murdered his wife, but that's besides the point.

[4588686]

It's pretty cool that he didn't try to do like a comb-over or whatever.  I'd consider that heroic.  A lot of men are really insecure about going bald.