Alcohol ban? Fake news right?

harryopal

I heard the proposal being discussed today on talk back on RRI (Radio Republik Indonesia). Even if it the proposal does not get up this time I doubt the issue will go away. Those in favour of Sharia law see these as major religious issues and will keep pushing. If it does get up eventually then I guess the next issue would be to ban licentious music followed by a ban on dancing, all music and then making it illegal for women to leave the house without a male escort. Never mind that these are hopelessly unlikely developments. It carries an advantage for the proponents of fundamentalism and shores up their support base.

Mark

This issue rears its ugly head every few years, and nothing ever comes of it. Everyone knows it would destroy tourism and irritate non-Muslims, but the parties that support it are just playing to their base by periodically pushing the matter. Ironically the UAE, a much more homogeneous and 'by the book' Muslim country compared with Indonesia, recently relaxed their rules on alcohol sales and consumption, in part to support tourism.

Markit

I just don't understand this - if you have a problem (be it religious, medical or moral) with drinking, smoking, fucking, eating ANYTHING then just DON'T!!! But that does not give you the right to stop me from doing it. Does it?

JackStraw

I'm sure you guys have heard about the proposed alcohol ban by the extremist Muslim parties (PKS and PPP) and I'm shocked this isn't a front-page discussion for the Bali Pod. What do you guys think? Fake news? If you ask me, this is just a strategy to suggest something so absurd that the opposing party will simply accept a lesser option as a counteroffer (which was probably the plan all along of the PKS and PPP). For example, these parties suggest the outrageous idea of an alcohol ban, which the opposing party strongly refuses, and then the two eventually settle on some mutual agreement that just ends up taxing the shit out of alcohol even more than they do now. Said taxes, of course, will just go to Prabowo, Suharto, and all their cronies. that's my theory at least.

Zimbo

This was also tried in 2016 See John McBeths article: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2047366/indonesias-got-drinking-problem-muslim-hardliners-who-want-ban Cheers!

sakumabali

Markit wrote I just don't understand this - if you have a problem (be it religious, medical or moral) with drinking, smoking, fucking, eating ANYTHING then just DON'T!!! But that does not give you the right to stop me from doing it. Does it?

I couldn't agree more. But it's more complex than that. These are people on a conquest (with "people" I mean fanatics f.e. teetotaler, pro-life activists, vegans, ecowarriors, christians, hindus, muslims etc). They DEMAND that everybody follow (their) rules. If for example (sth I would agree on as well) the claim is to stop producing cheap meat from tortured pigs & chicken in intensive livestock farming; for any reason you can imagine and for the SAKE OF THE PIGS...yes the intentions behind it are noble but there will be plenty of people with different perspectives (have to respect a legal product & freedom of thought). Also Ecowarriors have very valid points. 1920 to 1933 the prohibition in the USA was a failure. If implemented the tourism on Bali will be a failure...this would cause massive turmoils as Indonesia has not only hardliner muslims but also modern ones, hindus, buddhists & christians. Many businesses would have to close. This cannot be in the interest of a modern Indonesian government. Even if there will be a more strict newly elected government one day....every government needs money to build streets & schools. Import taxes on alcohol jumped to 150 % already. A clever government would not change a winning team

Markit

All of these prohibitions have the same MO (modus operandi) - some fringe group politician needs to get elected so he has to find some bandwagon to jump on. In all countries it's always the same shite - appeal to some moral outrage among the loony religious freaks and their followers be it alcohol among the Moslems, guns among the redneck US crazies or cars/atomic energy among the EU eco warriors. Once the pol has been successfully elected he then has to pay up whether he believes in the standpoint or not! And therein lies the source of much newsprint and glee. When these guys get caught with their hands (or other body parts) in the "cookie jar". Problem is that by then we've all had to swallow their stupid laws. God! I wish we'd finally fecking grow up!

harryopal

Markit wrote All of these prohibitions have the same MO (modus operandi) - some fringe group politician needs to get elected so he has to find some bandwagon to jump on. In all countries it's always the same shite - appeal to some moral outrage among the loony religious freaks and their followers be it alcohol among the Moslems, guns among the redneck US crazies or cars/atomic energy among the EU eco warriors. Once the pol has been successfully elected he then has to pay up whether he believes in the standpoint or not! And therein lies the source of much newsprint and glee. When these guys get caught with their hands (or other body parts) in the "cookie jar". Problem is that by then we've all had to swallow their stupid laws. God! I wish we'd finally fecking grow up!

As you mention "God", and I assume you are on good terms with the creator, can you please ask how much longer we have to wait before realizing that this experiment really hasn''t worked very well. Given that it seems just about every living entity survives by eating and inflicting pain on other living entities could you also ask what is the point of all the pain and suffering? Or has he she moved on and is so busy with other parts of the never ending universe and just forgotten about us? I await enlightenment. Ohh and the other point is given that he she knows both the beginning and the end anyway.... why bother?

Markit

harryopal wrote As you mention "God", and I assume you are on good terms with the creator, can you please ask how much longer we have to wait before realizing that this experiment really hasn''t worked very well. Given that it seems just about every living entity survives by eating and inflicting pain on other living entities could you also ask what is the point of all the pain and suffering? Or has he she moved on and is so busy with other parts of the never ending universe and just forgotten about us? I await enlightenment. Ohh and the other point is given that he she knows both the beginning and the end anyway.... why bother?

On what basis do you presume to state that "this experiment really hasn't worked"? Compared to what? The Dodo? Dinosaurs? Neanderthals? Compared to all those and countless others we/I could mention we're doing pretty well. We could be doing better, no doubt. But we have all these problems to deal with on the way: [LIST="1"] [*]Little teeth [*]Can't smell for shit [*]Can't run for buggery [*]No amour plating [*]Can't climb for shit either [*]like to drink/smoke/eat mind muddling substances [*]Think we're pretty fecking special - against all contradictory indications [*]Tend to vote for leaders that are even worse than the previous 7 indications [*]After 60,000 years of development in Australia we have a stick to show for it. [*]Think it's fecking cool that if you throw that stick it just right it might come back [/LIST] Name me another species or race that could blindly believe they're doing just fine with that kind of baggage?