From William Wordsworth via The Muscleheaded Blog:
“The human mind is capable of excitement without the application of gross and violent stimulants, and he must have a very faint perception of its beauty and dignity who does not know this.”
Sadly, about 7.5% of all Americans aged 18 and older, or almost 19 million people, have a substance abuse problem. Even more sad is that almost a million Americans under the age of 18 have a substance abuse problem. Maybe I shouldn’t reveal this about a person with whom I no longer associate, but the sibling from whom I have been estranged for years has substance abuse issues. These exacerbate this person’s innate anti-social, even sociopathic, tendencies.
Legalizing marijuana is not going to decrease the number of people with problems. Contrary to the delusions of drug “advocates” most people do not use marijuana, cocaine, etc. because they are illegal. The best available evidence indicates that after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the “Prohibition” Amendment, consumption of alcohol initially decreased by two-thirds. Even though alcohol consumption then increased until the Amendment was repealed, it was still about a third below pre-Prohibition levels at the time of repeal. Most people don’t want to risk legal punishment, period.
According to a study cited here, the total annual economic cost of substance abuse in the US, including alcohol, is $1.45 TRILLION. We ALL suffer from the effects of substance abuse. As a point of reference, that estimated loss is more than the annual GDP of Australia, which is hardly a poor nation.
By the way, many of those 19 million adults have children. A large number of the “kids who go hungry” are hungry because their parents are abusing drugs, including alcohol.
Thanks to Chris, author of The Muscleheaded Blog, for bringing Wordsworth’s remark to our attention.
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Reader David Banner (not his real name) texted me this URL of a review of the C8 Corvette from someone who is most decidedly NOT a fan of General Motors. (I apologize for linking to YouTube, part of the Evil Empire.) SavageScotty could not have been more effusive in his praise for the car. He was particularly impressed by the car’s handling and ride and by the automatic transmission.
David Banner also texted his opinion that if the C8 Corvette had a Ferrari or Lamborghini badge it would be sold out at three times the Corvette MSRP. I have long thought that the Corvette is the best performance car in the world, dollar for dollar, and has been for a long time. Many American cars are and have been meh, but tarring the Corvette with the narrow-minded self-hating American brush is inappropriate, like virtually all manifestations of blind adherence to any ideology.
When I first started working in baseball, most of my supervisors thought I “put” bad numbers on players I inherently disliked for some reason. They didn’t understand that my “opinion” of a player’s ability was based on the best and most objective assessment of his performance that I could muster. I am not calling the Corvette a great car because I own one, I own Corvettes because the evidence that they are great cars, and great bargains for what they do, is overwhelming. Yes, another C8 photo to follow:
From Automobile Magazine…
#ThursdayThoughts
#ScourgeOfSubstanceAbuse
#C8Corvette
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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Disaffected Musings 
Don’t make David Banner angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
Could the same be said if you put a Lexus badge on a Sentra?
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LOL! As for the Lexus badge on a Sentra, I don’t know.
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Maybe GM doesn’t need to advertise, but I would think the best thing to do is to get these things on the streets ASAP, so that people can see them as real things and not as unicorns. Maybe encourage dealers to drive them home and to grocery stores-now that we can go out again. I refuse to believe that Americans love affair with cars has died; my wife looks for used 911 convertibles every day. My daughter wants a 60s Mustang. And I lust after a six car garage with an attached house.
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“And I lust after a six car garage with an attached house.”
You stole my line! 🙂
Friend and reader C/2 has written that he thinks GM/Chevrolet should offer a C8 ride and drive for current Corvette owners. I think that’s a great idea, but it could be expanded. The UAW strike and coronavirus were two huge obstacles to getting the C8 on the street. Let’s hope production can continue without delay all through the end of October as scheduled.
Glad to read your wife and daughter have the car bug. I also think that not all Americans have simply succumbed to the SUV/Pickup Truck/Electric Autonomous malaise. I see many people in their 20s and their 30s at local car gatherings. Some of those “with a voice” want us to believe that cars are dead because it suits their agenda.
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Re substance abuse. Been there, done that, lost my shirt. 34 years ago I got 2 DUIs in 3 months. Some of my issue was I was around people while in high school who drank. After high school all my friends drank, and at the time part of my job encouraged me to take customers out at night. Steak joint, beer joint, strip joint, wherever they wanted to go. Well, you can’t just sit there while everyone else is drinking. Right? Luckily my employer was understanding and helped me into a form of rehab (non residential, outpatient). At first it was a struggle, but these days it’s second nature. I can kiss my woman who will have some wine on occasion and not have a problem.
Young folks and car culture. While their tastes are not the same as mine, there are plenty around here who are into cars/trucks. While our tastes may be different, I can appreciate the work that went into them building a turbo Honda Civic. The only issue I ever have is someone throwing a “fart can” on a stock 4 door Camry and calling it a hot rod. It’s no different than when I was a kid and the kid up the road had a 68 Chevelle with a 307 and a rotted out muffler. It takes more than loud and annoying to make it a hot rod.
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Very much appreciate your sharing this tale. I know it’s easy to get sucked up into doing what your friends are doing, into getting coerced by peer pressure.
Re: cars, as you know, I am a strong believer in DSFDF. Oh, that stands for Different Strokes For Different Folks. I hope younger people continue to have interest in cars and if it’s cars from 1995 or 2005 that they grew up with, more power to them. My car tastes have changed in the last 3-5 years and I’m an old fart! Thanks again, sir, for being an important part of my little blog.
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Your thoughts on substance abuse are spot on and I agree with my whole heart.
Concerning cars and the American car culture. DSFDF is so true. Just look at the expanse of the SEMA show in Las Vegas to see how great is the love affair all Americans have for cars, trucks and all of the rest. If Mr. Banner wants to supply his daughter’s want of a 60’s Mustang, Dynacorn makes Ford licensed new Mustang bodies from the 60’s and there are a myriad of suppliers for the rest of the necessary hardware to make a complete car. My own love affair project is a 1948 Ford F-1 pickup built to mimic the 1993-1995 Ford Lightning. I wouldn’t own a Low Rider, but I can sure appreciate the amount of work that goes into making some of the magnificent ones I have seen.
Keep posting rulesoflogic as your blog allows the rest of us have the opportunity to express our views. The thoughts you stimulate are needed.
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Many thanks, Philip.
I am an opinionated person, but respect the rights of others to have a different opinion. Of course, I do not believe that all value systems are equally valid.
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Cheers and thanks for the mention !!! 🙂
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You’re welcome and thanks for your blog.
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Your comments on substance abuse are on point. Of family and friends, I know of no abuse problems with illegal substances, but alcohol is another matter. Over the years, it’s been problematic for some people in my circle. I understand there’s a genetic link to the potential for abuse. Hopefully that will lead to pre-emptive treatment.
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Thanks, sir. Auto-Correct sucks, which is why I have disabled it everywhere. (Trust me, the last sentence is relevant to this dialogue.)
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