by Mike Retzlaff
A growing number of beer enthusiasts about the globe have discovered CrescentCityBrewTalk.com which is my website focused on beer and home brewing. Part of the hosting service is a Statistics Page. This tool provides me with a running total of which of the posted articles are accessed, how many views, number of visitors, and in which countries the viewers reside.
Over the last several years, I’ve had over 200 hits on my website from the mainland of China. In the grand scheme of things, that seems to be a paltry number unless and until you consider the firewall the Chinese Communist Party has embedded to block influence from the outside world. Yet, I continue to get traffic from that country.
I noted with interest, a few years ago, news reports of the demonstrations in China over the Covid 19 zero-tolerance lockdown. This unrest, which bordered on rioting, illustrated the rebellious nature of an oppressed and increasingly desperate people. I believe this was triggered by the fact that most of the beer in China is of lesser quality than that I am willing to drink on a regular basis. Tsingtao, Wusu, Yanjing, along with the other major beer brands in China share a common trait. They taste as if they were filtered through a bale of hay and in some cases, two bales.
Perhaps it is only coincidence that the Chinese people have reached their breaking point over the many social restrictions coupled with a lack of good beer. The Republic of China (ROC-Taiwan) and Hong Kong (SAR) have each scored a third of the Peoples Republic of China’s views on my site but remain peaceful and productive societies even though their beer is quite similar to that brewed under PRC control.
I find myself confronted with a quandary. Should I share this observation with the US State Dept. or one of the Intelligence agencies? My concern is that this could foster sinister and covert actions to weaponize our favorite beverage. Could their actions, in turn, be used against us? Can and will beer once again become a factor in truly changing the world? Would that change be for better or worse? Would sharing this observation bring me fame or infamy? Would future generations revere my family name or revile it?
Upon reflection of all these uncertain consequences, please forget I said anything.
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