May 24, 2025

Alcohol is a very necessary article. It enables Parliament to do things at eleven at night that no sane person would do at eleven in the morning.

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), Irish playwright, The Portable Curmudgeon, Jon Winokur, ed. (New York: 1987), p.88

Does alcohol loosen your tongue, induce tears, or reveal your not-so-gracious side? Lack of self-control is a dangerous thing in a politician, even worse in a wannabe politician.

The beauty of truly deliberative assemblies (where legislation is widely discussed and eventually gets passed) is the way in which the argument is shaped—usually intentionally, often inadvertently, sometimes surprisingly so. The part played by alcohol is difficult to determine, but should never be dismissed.