His Enemy Was Intransigence: how Peter McWilliams died

[SteveW]

4. Systemic and public cruelty is part and parcel of prohibition...

I remember this story when it happened. The authorities were sticking out their belt buckle and husslin' their nuts as they did it. This is not unusual when prohibition becomes deeply corrupted by its own pumped-up morality and the sure knowledge that ain't nobody gonna do anything about it.

And no one did.

We can expect this kind of cruelty to occur again; it is by design, it is meant to infuriate and render any critic impotent. But it is also the only thing police power has left in a dying scheme. If the scheme is prosperous, you would see relatively little of this. But this manner of prohibition is on shaky legs, so we can expect more cruelty and arbitrary pain-for-pleasure tactics by law enforcement, and they will expect the public to walk away.

This time we won't.
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"Hey, man," said the tourist, "where's the best place to smoke a little weed on East Sixth?"
"Right in the middle of the street," the old hippy answered, passing his joint.