We've discussed this issue ad nauseam, and even yesterday's IKEA post somehow veered into a discussion about booze in Kuwait. The rumors about Failaka have been swirling for months now and have reached places as disparate as Denmark and California. Kuwait is one of the last countries on the planet to remain officially dry, and is joined by such exalted company as Saudi Arabia and... well I wanted to say Qatar, but they've loosened up recently, haven't they? But you get my point; these are not countries I want to emulate and look up to. Before we go on a Saudi offensive, let me be clear: I only have sympathy for Saudis and admiration for their ability to withstand such a brutal life. (Note: Blogspot.com is blocked in Saudi Arabia so don't expect a Saudi tirade anytime soon!)
What I'm interested in here is not your personal view on the alcohol issue or whether you think it should be allowed or continue to be banned. I would like to get a feel for how realistic this issue is:
- Forget the predictable Islamist MPs for a sec... Will general Kuwaiti society accept it?
- Are alcohol drinkers in Kuwait a small privileged minority or is it much more widespread than any of us realize, thereby justifying its legalization?
- Will it result in even more deaths on Kuwait's highways? Our record is bad enough already.
- Will it make a huge difference in the number of visitors to Kuwait?
- Will it positively affect the so-called Tourist Industry in Kuwait?
- Should it be manufactured locally just like soft drinks?
- Can we expect a wine industry in Wafra? Don't answer that one!
- A few people stand to lose millions if it is ever legalized. How influential are they in keeping it banned?
I don't support the lifting of the prohibition on alcohol for the following reason:
ReplyDelete1- Who will flood our streets, hotels, malls and co-ops? yep we will be the New bigger "Bahrain" and it will be much worse here with no bridge to separate us from them. I don't have anything against Saudis..but drunk ones?
2- How in hell are you going to educate 60% of the population who are teens and pre teens about the dangers of drinking and driving and to stay away from alcohol till they are old enough...just remember all of those campaigns to stop people smoking and using drugs...they all seem to have backfired.
3- If the government allowed it ..that means they've compromised with the Islamists on something really huge..and that always scares the hell out of me
4- It will practically kill the airways and travel agents business in Kuwait, If you allow the single most important banned commodity to be sold legally here,
5- Every husband will want to stay and get drunk here, and you don't need Opera to tell you that most domestic problems start when someone is under the influence and I think its better for the drunk male to be away from his sober wife or the divorce rate we have now sky rocket to new world record.
6- We have enough car accidents in the streets ..We surly don't need boat accidents on the way back from little ol' Failaka
REALLY?? How come my friends in Jeddah can't access any blogs??!!
ReplyDelete*Alcohol will eventually be accepted by society.
ReplyDelete*Qatar does have alcohol in hotels. They also have dancers in Lebanese restaurants too.
*Alcohol is very widespread, more than any country i know. As to the price factor, ask the Kuwaiti Perfumes Co in Sab7an how many bottles of Jackson they produce a day & then try to find someone who wears that cheap stuff ;)
*A high is cheaper than a buzz in Kuwait and thats what sociologists and people in power should be looking at.
*I think if the Johny Walker agency is to be taken from Al-Sagger & given to KIPCO then we'll see alcohol or perhaps just JW legal within the week ;)
MadM: LOL i agree with #6 & the compromise with the islamist.
ReplyDelete1. If we go by Jambino's plan then yes it will be accepted sooner or later.
ReplyDelete2. It's the ban that needs justification, not the legalization. And I would say 10-15% are alcohol drinkers.
3. Mmm.. I'd hate to use the term "guns don't kill people, people kill people". MadM has a good point.. And education is the answer.
4. No doubt, yes.
5. Definitely, but do we really want booze tourism?
6. Ya rait.. why not? (fee kuwaiti?) :)
7. "let me take you down coz i'm going tooo.. strawberry fields..."
8. Oh boy. Are you kidding?
And isn't Iran "dry" too?
1- They will pretend that they don't accept alcohol to be legalized in order to show off their religious convictions, but in essence they don't really care.
ReplyDelete2- Drinking alcohol is very widespread, regradless of gender and class. Even if alcoholics represent a majority in the population, this is not an excuse to make it legal, what is wrong is wrong regardless of the number of its supporters, and I am not talking here purely out of a religious standpoint, it is simply bad for the health and bears heavy social and economic consequences.
3-Definitly, our highways will look like the Mi6la3 death road back in 1991, minus the uniforms and booty.
4-Yes, we will have more Saudis.
5- No, because we will end up with drunk people messing with women, children and every by-passer which gives sober Kuwaitis an even better excuse to flee the country not only in the travel season, but at every given opportunity.
6-No.
7-I will just add another in the North, part of the so called 4th wall (alsour al rabi3).
8- Not very.
1. Yes
ReplyDelete2. Yes 2 Part 2 " or ????????.."
3. Nop, and the reason? Refer to the answer in NO.2.
4. Yep
5. U bet.
6. Hell, why not.
7. All Wafra (mizari3) will b blooming with Kuwaiti excellent grapes tended by the excellent Asian labor, and manufactured by the state of the art equipment from Europe and the USA?. , bet u it's gona b the best winery in the world.. ?
8. Don't like to answer political questions, bur I assure u they r so influential that if u think we'll ever have alcohol legalized in this country.. ur dreaming
Hah did I pass the test?
1- alcohol has always been a part of society in Kuwait. before the war there were discos that my parents use to frequent. many friends and myself got drunk in our highschool prom only a little over a year ago.
ReplyDelete2- everyone does it, or has at least tried it. inclding some girls that seem holier than the virgin mary
3-consider it throwing a little chlorine in the gene pool.
4- yes. which is why if you are going to legalize alcohol, you should also make new laws to help regulate all pertainent issues
5- what tourist industry? ohh you mean the one where you get kiddnaped and taken to Khai6an?! at least you can get drunk in Khai6an.
6- Yes, by me and only me. if you think that the whole Pokemon in Saudi Arabia was a scandal, just wait till this comes out.
7- YEs. it has been done before. in the 1970's wine and marijuana was produced in a few of my grandfather's farms.
8-millions of what? marbels? the fact that the whole country should have to pay for the loss of a few is not justification enough.
Alcohol is not the issue. the issue is how much self control you have. just because i have a lot of licor and girls here in Miami doesnt mean that im going around and getting drunk and just shagging away. ou will only destroy your liver and get terrible back pain like i had :P
Your grandfather grew marijuana? Was he a hippie?
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ReplyDeleteNo he wasnt a hippie. he was/is a very succesfull businessman who dealt with real estate and contracting, hence the fact that no one gave a shit that my uncles where growing pot right next to the cucumbers in the greenhouses. i would grow it too..hummm..i have an idea for this summer...excuse me gentlemen, i have a few calls to make ;)
ReplyDeletethey should allow alcoholic drinks in kuwait
ReplyDeletethats all
and i support Jambino's plan
Excuse me for not paying attention, but whats jambino's plan?
ReplyDeletemishu84 LOL
Sheba, you'll have to look for his plan in the IKEA comments. It's very well thought out and I fully support it, though it could be condensed to under 6 years
ReplyDeleteMishu, were your uncles hippies/potheads/Deadheads?
they werent hippies or pothead or deadheads..they were just like me: privilaged children who knew how to have a good time. look at it this way: they grew up in kuwait and the USA in the 70's. they were Chicken Nuggets and so help me god, so am I. the occasional spliff doesnt make you an addict. . .
ReplyDeleteI dont know about you people but I think Mishu has the coolest Grandfather and Uncles I have ever heard about here in Q8. My grandafther experimented with making kuwaiti pickles - Achaar ...and I thought that WAS cool!
ReplyDeleteOh well...I hope my grandchildren will see me as Grandpa Cool one day
That's exactly my point.. since everybody seems to be doing it illegally anyway, why not legalize it and regulate it? At the very least, we'll have a bigger variety than what's on offer now (Johnny Walker, Smirnoff and awful wine that we pretend is good). Even though the typical Kuwaiti will walk into the coolest bar on Earth and still order Red Label :-P
ReplyDeleteMad M, if your children think you're cool, the grandkids will follow
Mishu, can I meet your uncles someday? Do I already know them? ;-P
zaydoun: you probably already know them or have heard of them. if i tell you my full name (which im not) you will most likely know them.
ReplyDeleteNow why would they order Red Label? that junk is gasoline. get Blue Label instead, its a lot smoother. Also why go with scotch when you can have covoursier?! ;) but yes, the occasional well prepared mojito is really nice. a screwdriver ? sure! cuba libre? anytime! rule of thumb: im a happy camper as long as im drunk. but please, no tequila! been to the ER twice thanks to my "friend" Jose Puto Cuervo
Mishu any single uncles?
ReplyDeleteSheba
ReplyDeleteMishu's family are NOT The Sopraons...
S o p r a n o s
ReplyDeleteoh yes sheba, many single uncles. but b4 any introductions get done, they first have get my *seal* of approval if yar know what i mean ;)
ReplyDeleteand no! we are not the Sopranos, we are even worse, as dysfunctional as it gets baby, and damn i love it...
MadM ROFL! i dont want a Soprano!
ReplyDeleteMishu, dysfunctional is my cup-a-tea! Ok so what tests will give me the *seal*??
Hey guys why aren't u taking Mishu seriously
ReplyDeleteIn late 70's this was common between some groups and some families as well.
U r talking different generation man
Mishu from Miami... the typical Kuwaiti who discovered booze in all the wrong ways will continue to drink Red Label - or "Rid" as it's generally pronounced here. Some guys even get a headache if they drink black or blue label, and because of this ignorance and demand.. the dealers don't bother with premium scotch because the market is too small. I don't touch the stuff.
ReplyDeleteOnce during the Iraqi occupation, I went to buy some Stoli vodka in Salmia near the Indian school, and the dealer had a variety of scotch, but some idiots pulled up in their car and insisted on "Rid" then drove off when he said he didn't have it.
MAKO FAYDA!! We remain Kuwaitiyeen ma ya3jebna shay even under fucking occupation!!!
I for one am very serious about Mishu!
ReplyDelete;>
Mishu or his uncles? ;-)
ReplyDeleteno comment ;p
ReplyDeleteMishu... when you said your family is dysfunctional, are they soap opera dysfunctional (Dallas, Dynasty, etc.) or sitcom dysfunctional (Arrested Development - my new favorite show!)?
ReplyDelete1)Not only will they accept it, but they will embrace it.
ReplyDelete2)It's more widespread. Wealthy people go to Bahrian in their yachts and buy alcohol (DutyFree) dirt cheap, and slowly but surely smuggle them in. Then sell them for ten times more to OTHER wealthy people. Then there's the U.N. who used to smuggle them into Kuwait (to sell them) using their vehicles and everyone knows, the U.N. vehicles don't get searched. Now the American and British soldiers are doing the same thing from Iraq as well. Then there's the hypocrites in the "Majlis all Umma" who banned alcohol (I think it's the 44th article) yet can be seen guzzling it down in Egypt's more well-known resturaunts.
3)The average rate of DAILY car accidents in Kuwait is ridiculous enough as it is, so what's another million right? If you're dumb enough to DUI then I guess you have to face the consequences. True, innocent bystanders can and will get hurt but to be completely fair, every week you hear of 4 or 5 teenage girls' deaths caused by guys intimidating them while on the road 'till they "yidishoon bill shaba ow yirkaboon ill ra9eef" so either way, innocent people always get hurt.
4) It will defintely increase the number of visitors to Kuwait. Setting aside the other Arabs for awhile, foreigners would flock to Kuwait by the billions because the banning of booze would be what made them decline fantastic job opportunities and kept them out in the first place.
Kuwait's weather is harsh, especially on foreigners. How do people cope? Get drunk of course!
5) ... Tourist Industry? ... Kuwait? ... Really? ... hmmmmm
6)Our cars are imports, our clothes are imports, so why not import our Alcoholic beverages as well?
7)Are you talking about the "Bigshots" who smuggle it in from international waters and force the coastguard to turn a blind eye, only to turn around and sell it to Kuwaity people? Since they've kept it banned for this long, I'd say they're pretty influential. 'Sides, they've been caught (or at least the people that do their dirty work for them have been caught) and yet they've managed to have bailed them out on numerous occasions. It does't get more "influential" than that.
Okay Mishu, hold up, you and your friends got drunk at prom? Daaaaaaaaaayam! In my prom, the teachers seperated the dancers if they got "too close". Talk about unfair haha Anyways your family sounds awesome!
Once (and only once) I drank tequila shots, mixed in with honey, and some other crap. The bartender lights it up and you quickly drop the straw in the "shot" glass and drink it. That stuff is so nasty it actually lit up haha 7 shots later, all I felt was a light buzz. It was "pleasant" but nothing WOW-ish about it.
zaydoun, they are a unique blend of soap opera/sitcom/horror dysfunctional.
ReplyDeleteD&G yes we got wasted in prom. best part was having to drive home with a car full of drunks just like me speeding at 160khm..
Sheba: i dont know...i have to think a little bit, but are you sure..these guys are certifiable section-8.
Zaydoun: do you know where i can find this particular vodka called Armandale? if not that then what about Schtolishnieder? and there is this rum, its called Cacique?
hey we can always share if its within the family :P eww sick, yet mildly arousing...
You're asking me where to find this stuff while I'm here in Kuwait and you're in Miami?!!
ReplyDeleteWhere are my manners?! Welcome aboard Saudi bloggers!!!!
ReplyDeletewell yeah...im coming to kuwait pretty soon so i want to maintain my levels of intoxication. i want to keep a regular stash so that i stop having to take our my parents'.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteStart getting used to "Rid Label", dodgy vodka and wine that didn't travel well
ReplyDeleteI have drank lots of Rid in venezuela over summer break, but it was mostly when was already drunk and you couldnt taste the diference between piss and champagne
ReplyDeletepics of this summer..
http://groups.msn.com/uas03/miamiandcaracas.msnw
enjoy
wait..i would by any chance be able to find 18 year aged Chivas scotch in q8?
ReplyDeleteThe official answer is NO, but here's what you can do:
ReplyDelete- When you get back, start sucking up to European diplomats on the take.
- Make the rounds of embassy receptions along with the "Embassy Groupies" who go only to get wasted.
- Raid your uncles' liquor cabinet.
yeah.. i think im going to hit up the Venezuelan embassy...probably the first time in my life that being 1/2 q8e and 1/2 venezuelan turned out being something that i could see immediate benefits..
ReplyDeleteCheers every
ReplyDeleteIt?s quarter to three,
There?s no one in the place ?cept you and me
So set ?em? up joe
I got a little story I think you oughtta know
We?re drinking my friend
To the end of a brief episode
So make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
I know the routine
Put another nickel in that there machine
I?m feeling so bad
Won?t you make the music easy and sad
I could tell you a lot
But you gotta to be true to your code
So make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
You?d never know it
But buddy I?m a kind of poet
And I?ve got a lot of things I wanna say
And if I?m gloomy, please listen to me
Till it?s all, all talked away
Well, that?s how it goes
And joe I know you?re gettin? anxious to close
So thanks for the cheer
I hope you didn?t mind
My bending your ear
But this torch that I found
It?s gotta be drowned
Or it soon might explode
So make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
(ole blue eyes)May he RIP
OMG OMG! All this happened after i left?
ReplyDeleteMISHU: umm u'r scaring me a bit about your uncles, but its exciting! So yes is my answer!
Being 1/2 Venezuelan MUST have more benefits than the Embassy?
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ReplyDeleteMishu! LOL i think i went to school with 1 of your uncles! If i'm right, i've changed my mind :p No offense but i dont think i can handle him!
ReplyDeleteops sorry zaydoun, readers, i posted the kanafa thing to wasma here bil ghala6 & dunno how to delete
ReplyDeleteSheba, that's one of the symptoms on the list I linked to!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWe are not complaining. just ,as members from society, entertaining certain possibilites about kuwait's future.
ReplyDeleteOut of respect for Zaydoun's request not to express our personal views in this thread, I've vented on www.qcubed.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHowever, here are my responses on the issue for the record:
1)General Kuwait society will not accept it.
2)Kuwait alcohol drinkers are a minority, but I don't think they're priveleged. Even if they were the majority it would not justify legalization, because legalization would make alcohol consumption even more widespread.
3)Yes, legalizing alcohol would result in more deaths on Kuwait highways.
4)Yes, I think it would make a difference in the number of visitors.
5)Yes, I suppose it might positively affect the so-called Tourist industry in Kuwait.
6)No, it should not be manufactured locally.
7)Ok, I won't answer this one.
8)I don't know how influential they are, but you can't say they are the only ones behind the ban. The ban is here because the majority of Kuwaiti people want it here.
Gigi, minimally
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