“A drink after work is the best.”
Many of us spend our days looking forward to that moment. The refresh of carbonation piercing the throat, the tension dissolving in the brain, the feeling of liberation from daily stress. It feels like a modest reward given to oneself.
However, what if that “reward” was actually a “tool for control” meticulously designed by someone? What if the feeling of “I want a drink” was not your will, but a program installed by historical power structures and modern capitalism?
In this article, we dissect the entity of “alcohol” not from a health perspective, but from the perspective of Mindset Design (regaining control of consciousness). Alcohol is not merely a luxury item; it is a highly political device that has been used for thousands of years to numb the thinking of the masses and extract labor and tax revenue.
When you finish reading this article, the cold beer in your hand might look like a completely different “liquid.”
Key Points of This Article
- Historically, Alcohol Is a “Painkiller for Labor”: From ancient Egypt to the Industrial Revolution, rulers used alcohol to numb the pain of harsh labor and keep slaves/workers compliant.
- “Moderate Drinking Is Good for Health” Is a Lie: Modern science has concluded that “even small amounts of alcohol increase health risks.” The theory of a J-curve effect (health benefits of small amounts) was a statistical error or data manipulation by the alcohol industry.
- The Government Is the “Dealer”: The Japanese government’s campaign encouraging young people to drink alcohol (“Saké Viva!”) symbolizes the structure of prioritizing tax revenue and industry profits over citizen health.
- Alcohol Robs “Time” and “Possibility”: The biggest cost of drinking is not money, but the time spent intoxicated and the decline in performance the next day. It is an act of discarding finite life time.
1. History of Control: Why Rulers Loved Alcohol
Alcohol has been an “essential tool for rulers” since the dawn of civilization. Its function is consistent: “To make harsh reality bearable and subjugate masses to the system.”
Ancient Egypt: Beer as Salary
In ancient Egypt, the laborers who built the pyramids were paid in beer. This was both hydration and calorie replenishment, but more importantly, it was a device to prevent rebellion against harsh labor. A slightly intoxicated state dulls the accumulation of dissatisfaction and the ability to think critically. By giving alcohol, rulers could extract labor efficiently.
Industrial Revolution: Gin and the Working Class
During the Industrial Revolution in 18th century England, the cheap distilled spirit “Gin” spread explosively among the working class. Workers forced into grueling labor for long hours in poor environments drowned their misery in gin. Capitalists tacitly approved this. The reason is simple: drunk workers do not plan revolutions. They use alcohol to endure today’s pain and return to the factory the next day. Alcohol functioned as a mechanism to “fix” the working class in their current situation.
Modern Japan: The “Strong Zero” Phenomenon
And now, in 21st century Japan. High-alcohol Chuhai (canned shochu highball) containing 9% alcohol is sold cheaper than water in convenience stores. Advertisements featuring popular actors repeat “It makes you feel good!” and “Refreshing!”
These drinks are jokingly called “welfare provided by the private sector” or “legal drugs for the poor” on the internet. The structure is the same as the gin of the Industrial Revolution. Exhausted from long working hours and stress, people buy cheap alcohol to instantly numb their brains and manage to sleep. By numbing the brain, they postpone facing the problems of reality (exploitative labor environment, low wages, future anxiety).
2. The Scientific Truth: The “Limit of Safe Drinking” Is Zero
For a long time, the discourse that “moderation is the best medicine” (moderate drinking is good for health) has been believed. However, recent scientific research has completely overturned this “common sense.”
The Lancet’s Conclusion: “Zero”
In 2018, the world’s most authoritative medical journal, “The Lancet,” published a shock paper. Based on data from 28 million people in 195 countries, the conclusion derived was “There is no safe level of alcohol consumption.” Even small amounts of alcohol increase the risk of disease, and the negative effects outweigh any benefits.
Canada’s Guidelines Revision
In 2023, Canada significantly revised its alcohol drinking guidelines. The new guideline states that “even 1-2 drinks per week increases the risk of cancer.” It clearly states that alcohol is a carcinogen (Class 1 carcinogen, same as asbestos and tobacco).
Why Was “Moderation” Believed?
Why has the lie that “a little alcohol is good for the body” been believed for so long? One reason is flaws in statistical processing (including people who “stopped drinking due to illness” in the non-drinking group, making the non-drinking group appear unhealthier). And another reason is lobbying by the alcohol industry. Like the tobacco industry in the past, the alcohol industry has spent huge amounts of funding to spread the discourse of “healthy moderate drinking.”
3. Government and Capitalists: The Complicity of Deception
Knowing it is harmful, why isn’t alcohol regulated? The answer is simple. Because it makes huge money.
The “Saké Viva!” Campaign
In 2022, Japan’s National Tax Agency launched a campaign called “Saké Viva!” soliciting ideas to promote alcohol consumption among young people. While the world is moving towards “alcohol separation” (Sober Curious) mindful of health, the government officially encouraged “Drink more!”
Why? Because liquor tax revenue was declining. For the government, the citizens’ health is secondary to tax revenue. This event clearly exposed the true nature of the state. They do not want you to be healthy; they want you to be a “tax-paying consumer.”
Media Silence
TV and major media rarely report largely on the harm of alcohol. Why? Because beer and beverage manufacturers are massive sponsors. Criticizing alcohol means losing advertising revenue. Therefore, TV programs continue to air scenes of consuming alcohol deliciously and commercials with refreshing images every day. Media is not a device to convey the truth, but a device to protect sponsors’ profits.
4. The Cost of Consciousness: What Alcohol Truly Robs
The money paid for alcohol is the smallest cost. What you truly lose is “consciousness” and “time.”
Numbing the “Sensor”
Stress or anxiety is a signal from your mind saying “something is wrong.” It is a sensor indicating that the current job, environment, or relationships are not suitable for you. Alcohol functions to forcibly silence this sensor.
By drinking, you momentarily forget the anxiety. The sensor stops beeping. You feel like the problem is solved. But the reality has not changed at all. The black company remains black, and the cold relationship remains cold. You just numbed the pain. Alcohol is a “status quo maintenance functioning device” preventing you from taking action to change your life.
Discarding Tomorrow’s Possibility
Drinking alcohol lowers sleep quality. Focus, judgment, and motivation the next day decrease significantly. Even if not a hangover, the brain’s performance drops by several tens of percent. You spend the weekend sleeping or spend a sluggish day doing simple tasks.
Time is life itself. The time you could have used for reading, studying, exercising, or preparing for a side business is erased by alcohol. Paying money to lower your performance and discard your own time. Can there be any consumption activity more foolish than this?
5. Liberating from the Trap: Towards Conscious Choice
We are not saying “Prohibition!” The goal of Mindset Design is “Conscious Choice.”
If you truly understand the risks and still choose to “drink a glass of high-quality wine for enjoyment,” that is freedom. But if you are drinking cheap chemical-laden alcohol out of habit to escape stress, or drinking because you can’t refuse the atmosphere, you are a slave to the program.
Questions for Deprogramming
Before picking up a glass next time, ask yourself these questions:
- “Am I drinking this because I truly want to taste it? Or is it to numb some stress?”
- “If I didn’t drink this, what emotions would I have to face?”
- “Is the price of discarding tomorrow’s performance worth this glass?”
The moment you can choose “not to drink,” you regain control of your life. Facing reality without numbing the sensor is painful. But taking action to change that reality begins only from there. Sober consciousness is the strongest weapon to survive capitalism. Do not hand it over to cheap alcohol.
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