“Basic values paradoxically lead to their own decline through the accumulation of wealth and possessions.”
Robert K. Merton
The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action (1936)
June 20, 2025 — The law of unintended consequences describes how deliberate actions — especially by governments — often lead to outcomes that sharply diverge from their original intentions. These consequences may be beneficial, harmful, or entirely unrelated. While economists and sociologists have long understood this, politicians often fail to anticipate it. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
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RELATED POST : MEDINT — James Bond Has a Severe Chronic Alcohol Problem
Take Prohibition in the United States during the 1920s. Intended to curb alcohol consumption, it instead wiped out small-time suppliers and handed the illegal booze trade to organized crime. With demand still high, these syndicates flourished and expanded into other criminal enterprises.
And thus came Al Capone.
A modern parallel? The War on Drugs. Rather than eliminating the drug trade, it massively empowered cartels, making them richer, more violent, and more embedded in the global economy.
And thus came Pablo Escobar.
Back to Brussels
Since late May 2025, Belgian federal MPs are no longer allowed to consume alcohol in the parliamentary bar. This measure, part of a broader reform of parliamentary rules, was endorsed by all five majority parties.
And then, Parliament sobered up — literally and figuratively.
On Wednesday, the Chamber of Representatives collapsed into farce, if not outright disgrace. The session, dedicated to reviewing the 2025 federal budget, was repeatedly interrupted and suspended. The reason? The majority failed to meet quorum — not enough MPs showed up to work.
Many were absent, some reportedly attending to “more pressing” matters — though one wonders what could be more pressing than passing a national budget.
And thus came CHAOS!
As Winston Churchill once quipped: “I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.”
Did You Know?
In CIA jargon, “blowback” refers to the unintended and often harmful consequences of covert operations. One infamous case: U.S. support for the Afghan Mujahideen in the 1980s — meant to counter Soviet influence — helped fuel the rise of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
And thus came Bin Laden.
And, eventually, 9/11…
REFERENCES
Une journée noire pour la politique — Un commentaire de Dorian de Meeûs. (La Libre, June 20, 2025)
James Bond Has a ‘Severe Chronic Alcohol Problem,’ According to Health Experts — Esquire
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Brussels, Den of Spies — No Rum? No Quorum! [When prohibition hits Belgian Parliament, participation goes missing!]
“There is strong and consistent evidence that James Bond has a chronic alcohol consumption problem at the ‘severe’ end of the spectrum. He should seek professional help and try to find other strategies for managing occupational stress.”
Medical Journal of Australia
(December 2018)
Intel Today 