The Shuttering of Public Houses

[UltraBudgie]

The traditional Irish pub is becoming a thing of the past:



I see this as part of a larger trend of destroying the public square. Pubs, traditionally, are not just about alcohol, they're about meeting with your neighbors, making local friends, sitting elbow-to-elbow with new people, sharing the stories of our lives face-to-face. In a word, community.

That's changing. Avenues of social interaction that can not be measured and centrally influenced via smartphone technology are being systematically destroyed. Economically, socially, and by ever-heavier burdens of regulation and pressure.

Sure, people are drinking less alcohol. And with the price of a pint hitting $7-$10, who wouldn't?  Or you can just drink cheaply, at home, alone with the black mirror. We didn't see liquor stores close during the pandemic, but pubs and churches sure shut down tight.

And this is happening socially, too. We're so divided that it's becoming harder and harder to talk to our neighbors. We've lost the ability to have differences in opinion that don't poison our ability to interact. The old day of "no politics or religion" at the lodge or pub are long gone. Now, I use the "G.R.A.P.E.S. of wrath" rule: No talk of Guns, Religion, Abortion, Politics, Economics, or Sex.  People just can't handle it.

What's left? We talk about the weather and gardening. But no mention of FEMA responsiveness or how our food has become poison, of course. It's all very sad, we're getting what we deserve, I've become accelerationist about it -- "when you're going through hell, keep going". Solitude is really rather lovely, after all.

[Encia22]

My mates and I used to frequent pubs from the time we were about 16 years old. They were our second homes; and my first home for a good few years.

They were our social media forums, but much more fun than the digital ones of today.

The beer was good, but it was much more than that; it was about brotherhood and sisterhood. Friendships, relationships and families were formed there. Sometimes, enemies were made, but it went with the territory.

Without them, God knows what mischief my mates and I would have gotten up to… they saved the planet from our adolescent wrath.

God Bless and long live Public Houses, everywhere!

 

[Maxmars]

Awww... 

I always looked upon your public houses as an institution of society.

Here in America we have "bars" and those are only habitually frequented by people who "need" alcohol and those who "want to get buzzed" with few exceptions.

But it always seemed to me that your public houses were a community thing... (unfortunately not always "inviting" to some newcomers or strangers.)

American bars are mostly only interested in making money so - strangers and newcomers are usually not 'side-eyed' (again with some notable exceptions.)