With the Fiscal Cliff deal all finished up comes late word that part of it includes a $13.50/gallon tax on rum.
This is nothing new. That tax has been around for a looong time and is used to help the Puerto Rican rum industry.
According to this article: Governments have been taxing the heck out of alcohol to control the masses for at least a couple hundred years. They figured it was less of a burdensome tax on the poor since they could always forgo beer in favor of food and water. Taxes were also used to penalize foreign countries (like France and their high falootin’ wine).
Clearly, this is yet another indicator of the Global Beer Conspiracy and shows how they have been working with (or against) governments across the globe to control the masses.