On Sat, 14 Jun 2003, Keith Thomas wrote:

>
> Human motivation is an incredibly complex phenomenon and I don't think we
> should be looking for a simple, mono-causal explanation of the high
> (disastrous) levels of alcohol consumption in societies that have recently
> become 'civilized' - I use 'civilized' in the way Daniel Quinn uses it in
> his books.

As has been pointed out on this list several times of late, many Asians
lack a certain enzyme that allow them to process alcohol like most other
people. Hence when they do drink they become nauseated and dizzy after
consuming only a small amount of alcohol. The end result is that many of
these people never drink or drink only small amounts.

Now, if American Indians and Australian Aborignes also lacked this same
enzyme...well they would behave just like these Asians. They either
wouldn't drink or only drink small amounts.

The disastrous affects of alcohol on Indians and Aborgines is biochemical
in nature IMO. I don't buy the "The Noble Savage" myth that they drink
because of loss or remorse for their idyllic hunter gather way of life or
because of the demands of 'snivelization' (as peter tosh would say).

Humans are amazingly adaptable creatures, you could snatch a hunter
gatherer baby from the jungles of New Guinea, and raise him in
downtown Manhattan, where he might grow up to be a lawyer working in an
office building (god forbid).

Craig