Exit Plans

Maybe. However I know a few first world countries that manage to maintain this level of freedom without risking their 'pie' to shrink.
Instead of protecting people from Alcohol by limiting it, educate them that it's not a valid goal in life to be drunk every day, and, give them better goals and perspectives, and a reason to be awake and alert the next day! Alcohol abuse is not the culprit, it's a symptom. You cannot cure the underlying disease by forcing people to drink at home.

It took me until I visited New Zealand and the UK to see liquor ban areas and bars closing early despite being totally crowded for the first time of my life, and I'm still baffled by the fact how people can simply accept such things as normal. After all these are democracies, a part of the so-called 'free world'. So maybe real freedom actually isn't wanted by the majority any more there and those who do want it indeed need to always have a next possible destination in mind just in case. Sad, but still the world is big enough.

If Singapore really is what the rest of Asia wants to become, well thanks but I don't want to live in a Disneyland with Death Penalty for those who don't play along. There's still Central / South America (Panama is cheap to get permanent residency and even a passport) and, not mentioned yet I think, Africa (certainly more third world than here) and Eastern Europe. I heard good things about Georgia from a residency / investment perspective also. All in all there's plenty of interesting options.

Good point. Only took a few cops to permanently take away the motor bikes of just 10 or 20 obviously drunken drivers every night and optionally put them into a cell for 24 hours. Nobody needs new laws and regulations for that, it just needs to be done.

Having lived in Berlin, Germany, for a few years, I know the embarrassment when night and day life clash very well and from both sides. It's not funny coming out of Berghain on Sunday at 1 PM (that place is open non stop from Friday night till Sunday evening...), blinded by the daylight, and having all those sober early risers looking at you. On the other hand of course it's also not funny to be in a city train or bus on the way to work together with a bunch of drunken clubbers. Yes, also in Berlin bad things happen, and also people die from time to time with Alcohol involved. But still far more people die in car accidents (with no alcohol involved), and do we forbid driving cars because of that? Of course not. We even allow people to drive as fast as they want on some roads.

Live and let live, and for the few that cannot handle their freedom, there are rules and laws in place already that sanction bad behaviour.
If law makers tried to protect everybody as much as possible from themselves and others we all ended up in rubber cells, being forced to watch TV all day and fed the same synthetic crap all the time (people can die from bones and food allergies!). I don't want that.

Regarding reduction of murder, there are far easier (and more effective) measures that could be taken - for starters, simply take away the f***ing guns from everybody except Police and Army. Would make me certainly feel safer than a liquor ban at 1am.

 

What is interesting reading the DI Forum and living in the area is that their are so many different lifestyles among the foreigners. That provides different points of views and opinions to ponder. Most would probably not enjoy my lifestyle and I would probably not enjoy the late night bar scene. No worries, do what you feel like doing and enjoy. We are all adults and have to manage risks. I am more nervous riding on the Dgte-Bacong highway during the day than I would going into a late night bar.
In the military we always tried to go out with a couple buddies to enjoy the evening entertainment, seemed safer.

 

If you want to save lives, ban mosquitos.

 

Other than Guns, bottles *do* have legitimate uses besides killing people. If this weren't the case I'd be all in.

 

Guns do have legitimate uses. Sometimes killing someone is a legitimate use. Other legitimate uses are target shooting. I believe that everyone should know how to sight and shoot a firearm. If people aren't allowed to have firearms then you can cut some Olympic sports, pistol and rifle both slow and rapid fire, Biathlon would be history. Hunting and or predator control on ranches would also become a problem.

Guns are not as dangerous as people think. I once took a nap in an armory at lunch time with over 200 machineguns in there and nothing happened. If guns were the problem I don't see how I could have possibly survived. I was asleep, totally at the guns mercy, and yet nothing happened. It must be something else. Maybe, just maybe the gun is not at fault. Maybe it is the fault of people, careless people or people with evil intent?

Using your logic because some people abuse painkillers, everyone will all just have to suffer because we don't know who to trust. Everyone will just have to get their painkillers illegally.

Look at some of the paradises that have outlawed guns. I won't even go for Chicago or Washington DC, that would be too easy. How about Nigeria or Mexico? I don't think I need a gun in the Philippines, I would not live in Nigeria without at least one. Nigeria has a booming black market for guns.

Then there is the matter of putting the genie back into the bottle. It would take me 40 minutes to make a single shot shotgun, not quite a whole day to make a submachine gun. When you go door to door to take peoples guns do you mind if I film it for youtube? I probably won't monetize it but if I do your estate will be cut in for half of the net after expenses.

I'm not entirely sure I would want an armed constabulary if nobody else were armed, I would be worried that some, most, possibly all would abuse their office since they might think they have the monopoly on force. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If everyone is supposedly disarmed, what would the police need firearms for? I wouldn't feel secure with your plan unless everyone, including the police were willing to take the same chance of being unarmed that you want me to take, involuntarily. I would foresee a lot more mutual benefit societies forming, that is the polite term for gangs.

If guns make you uncomfortable, you are probably in the wrong country. From what I have seen Filipinos who may not have a pot to p*ss in or a window to throw it out of often have a gun. Silencers are legal in the Philippines so possibly they could shoot someone and not raise enough commotion that anyone would bother to notice, you are living in a country where not just guns are legal but the tools of assassination are legal. Most (meaning d*mn few) homicides of foreigners do not end in convictions. Have a great day.

 

Other people often do get the receiving end of a drunk driver.

During the day the city roads are jam packed. That's people largely moving between businesses (including work) and home. It's not jam packed because of people on a joyride or visiting friends / family. The roads are relatively empty on major holidays when everything is shut down.

At night, the businesses which are open are bars or other places which serve alcohol. Much of the traffic at night is people who are driving drunk while moving between these places or going home.

Shutting down places which server alcohol at night cuts down on the drunken traffic.

A compromise might be a special case license and "zone". Allow places on the BLVD or other special zones to stay open late. Require a licence to serve. Step up policing and ride services in the area. Tax the **** out of the served alcohol to pay the administration costs.

This town is dead after 11 anyways. I'm struggling to even think of a place which stays open past 1 except for Whynot. I guess Revive. LOTS of hole in the wall Sari Sari stores and Karaoke places.