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There\’s nothing quite so permanent as a temporary government program

Ration books were introduced as a temporary measure in 1962 to guarantee staple goods after the US imposed an embargo.

48 years and still going strong in Cuba.

4 thoughts on “There\’s nothing quite so permanent as a temporary government program”

  1. The classic example, of course, being the income tax. It was temporary when introduced to pay for the Napoleonic wars, and repealed afterwards; but even when Peel resurrected it, he made out that it was only for three to five years. A hundred and sixty years on, it still has to be renewed annually by Parliament, and so remains, technically, ‘temporary’.

  2. So Much For Subtlety

    Standing Armies in Britain also used to be temporary – and had to be renewed ever year.

    Never underestimate bureaucratic Empire building. In the 1830s Britain set up an office to investigate (the probably entirely mythical) practice of Thugee. It still exists.

  3. Well, it’s not like the embargo is gone is it? There have been concessions, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one will disappear when the other does.

  4. So Much For Subtlety

    nanopope – “Well, it’s not like the embargo is gone is it? There have been concessions, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one will disappear when the other does.”

    In the same way it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Tooth Fairy came to replace my niece’s tooth the other day.

    The smart money would be on her mother though.

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