from the New York Times: Beer in Russia

[Leslie Farmer]

In a message dated 8/07/2004 8:15:57, dg2158 at COLUMBIA.EDU writes:


> Sorry to intervene, but alcoholism itself is merely a symptom. It's
> not drinking that leads to apathy, as the NYT is trying to suggest,
> but just the opposite - a nationwide sense of powerlessness and
> despair, with no room for personal or collective achievement, that
> leads to alcoholism. But that, of course, you won't read in the New
> York Times.
>
>

This sounds like what a psychologist told me re inner-city African-Americans
 (very poor and effectively in a ghetto). A lot of what is seen as lack of
character, failing families, petty crime, etc., = really clinical depression.
Change the color and add some income, and you may still have a depressed
person, but he/she sees a psychologist and gets to talk it out, maybe referred to a
psychiatrist for medication.   This usually isn't available in the inner
city, but cheap alcohol is.

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