(212) Kṛṣṇaḥ

In vino veritas. You can’t trust people who don’t drink—if they don’t drink it’s because they’re liars; they can’t risk not being sober and so losing track of their lies. Hence you cannot trust Mormons or Muslims, since neither drink—except Sufis and Jack Mormons (who are truthful, yet not popular with the main bodies of their respective religions). It means Mormonism and Islam cannot be among the most truthful religions—these are religions with something to hide (and, indeed, Islam allows for its adherents to lie to outsiders).

All academic conferences should serve drinks before papers are given, not afterwards (when the real work is done currently). If people were slightly tipsy when they gave presentations much material of interest would leak out that is otherwise suppressed—there would be genuine progress at conferences instead of a dull performance to gain career points. The ancient Greeks had a symposium, after all—and an academic symposium is meant to be the same, except the Greeks made sure they imbibed wine throughout the entire event and not just at the end. The principle should apply to board meetings and testimony before parliamentary and congressional committees (not interested in getting at the truth anymore than academic gatherings).

Mike Pence refuses to drink so Mike Pence is a liar—he’s a whited sepulchre; and we know he’s no good because he betrayed Trump and because a fly once landed on his face during a live broadcast (a sign, a negative sign). Trump doesn’t drink either—so should we not trust him? Trump is an exception because his brother drank himself to death—so Trump has that melancholy Scotch blood that just wants to sit in a wee croft in the Highlands and Islands and drink and feel sad and drink and feel sad. So we exempt Trump because we know his motivation is different—also we know he is pretty honest (exceptionally so for a politician). Basically, liars don’t drink—you can’t trust a non-drinker.