Gutless Thugs

David Penberthy absolutely nails it in this piece on so-called "Alcohol-Fuelled Violence".

It appears to be mandatory to describe the random, mindless violence we have seen in pubs and on footpaths around the nation as "alcohol-fuelled" violence.I hate this term.

A more appropriate term would be scumbag-fuelled violence, as the focus on alcohol lets the scumbags off the hook.

There are tens of thousands of Australians who frequently engage in what those abstemious folks in the health lobby describe as "dangerous" drinking.

They do so without sending anyone to hospital, or to an early grave. I am one of them. So is almost everyone I know.

In vino veritas. Alcohol doesn't turn you into a dickhead. You had to be one in the first place. 

Having said that, I'm not entirely convinced any good can come from drinking-holes being open until 5am.

Singer and party girl, Ke$ha (who has never actually been photographed at a party) sang:

Tonight, I'mma [sic] fight'Til we see the sun light

I believe her meaning was "fight" to stay awake, not punch-out innocent pedestrians. However in order to do so, one needs to chase every serve of alcohol (a depressant that would otherwise put you to sleep) with a stimulant that will keep you going. A disaster in the making and that's just from a tame 'Red Bull and Vodka', compared to harder stuff in tablet form or snorted up one's nose.

Once upon a time, a drunken bogan would be lucky to land a single punch on his opponent. Now, they not only maintain their energy and co-ordination, they have lost whatever inhibition they ever had.