Scan the QR code in the image to register A few days ago, I bought a book titled "The Great Depression" to reach the free shipping threshold. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be quite interesting. It not only described the state of American society in the 1920s but also included photographs from that era. The people in the photos were all dressed in suits and looked serious, even those drinking in speakeasies. I found that puzzling. But the most interesting part was the description of Prohibition: Despite its noble moral intentions, Prohibition did not end Americans' consumption of alcoholic beverages. On the contrary, it did not completely eradicate the demonic spirits; instead, it drove drinking underground, ushering in an era of chaos and extortion, organized and manipulated by crime bosses. What Prohibition brought about included horrifying criminal activities such as extortion and murder, corruption among public officials and law enforcement, and a thriving underground liquor market that was invisible to the public. The mysterious allure of nightclubs, the illegal goods they offered, and their enchanting atmosphere were irresistible. It can be said that during Prohibition, alcohol consumption did not decrease but actually increased, a shocking result mainly due to the heyday of speakeasies. With the Chinese New Year approaching, many people are working hard to get genuine Feitian Moutai liquor. What is ironic is that the good times for speakeasies did not end because of law enforcement's efforts to shut them down, but because after the 1929 stock market crash, fewer people patronized them, and as they earned less money, they had to close. After the economic crisis broke out, to create jobs and stimulate consumption, Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Under the oppression of Prohibition, people actually drank more, and speakeasies flourished; I wonder if people will increase their drinking after the ban is lifted. Speakeasies changed people's lifestyles and continue to influence them today. —Impact on the catering industry: As the number of speakeasies grew, live entertainment and performances attracted customers, and demand increased. Because ladies did not like sitting at the bar, table service became increasingly common. Food also changed, with an increase in menu variety and the emergence of "exotic" dishes (such as Italian cuisine), leading to the maturation of the modern restaurant concept. —Impact on the beverage industry: Sometimes, the quality of alcohol was poor, made from inferior industrial alcohol with chemical additives. To mask the taste of these low-quality spirits, fruit juices, soft drinks, or other pleasant liquids were added, creating new mixed drinks, many of which have become staples of the modern food and beverage industry. (This is a key point to note. Suddenly, I don't want to drink beverages anymore.) —Impact on social life: As young men and women socialized without direct supervision from parents or other elders, dating became popular. Speakeasies influenced every aspect of American social life, far beyond their closed doors and smoke-filled revelry rooms. Do not suppress human nature, or the consequences will be severe. The most common example is that to lose weight, you might skip staple foods or even meals entirely, but after a few days, you binge eat and become even fatter than before. This is because eating is a human instinct; primitive people evolved over many years and passed down genes that crave calories. The more you suppress your nature, the more it will erupt in retaliation later. The United States had various considerations when introducing Prohibition, but the effect was counterproductive. I recall a phrase our teacher taught us long ago: Management based on human nature is effective. This is a story about a father and son robbing tombs. A father and son partnered to rob tombs. One plan was for the father to go down into the cave while the son pulled the rope above. After finding the cave and digging the hole, the father would go down to avoid traps and retrieve the treasures. The son would receive the treasures above and pull the rope. However, it was not uncommon for sons, driven by greed, not to pull their old fathers up from the cave, and these sons might be the neighbor's sons, not biological. So this plan did not maximize the benefits of tomb robbing. So the plan was changed to the son going down into the cave and the father pulling the rope above. Even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cubs; moreover, people place great importance on continuing the family line. After receiving the treasures above, the father would pull the son up from the cave for the aforementioned reasons. There are unfilial sons and daughters, but few parents who do not love their children. This is human nature. I also recall the documentary "The Hexi Corridor," which mentioned the story of Modu Chanyu killing his father with a whistling arrow, a truly "fatherly and filial" tale. Modu was his father's eldest son. According to custom, the throne should have passed to him, but his father wanted to make the son of his favorite concubine the crown prince and considered deposing Modu. To eliminate him in a seemingly justified manner, he even sent Modu as a hostage to the Yuezhi. His father then did something even more bizarre: he launched an attack on the Yuezhi, intending to use this offensive to kill his own son Modu. Unfortunately, fate did not comply; Modu escaped successfully and began a journey of fighting poison with poison, eventually shooting his own father. After long planning, Modu finally shot an arrow at the old Chanyu's head, and his soldiers, following his orders, also shot arrows at the old Chanyu. Thus, this story of "fatherly and filial" ended with Modu Chanyu becoming the new ruler of the grasslands. What more can I say? Human nature, that's just how it is. Source: Xiaobei Reading Financial Reports (ID: jiemi1001), Author: Cui Xiaobei