I'm pretty sure there's a happy and reasonable medium between absolute abstention and total 24/7 alcohol fuelled mayhem. Not only that but I'm pretty sure that it's only a minority, however visible, of any population that actually feels comfortable with either situation. After all, most drunken teens/early 20s will drink substantially less by the time they're 25, either voluntarily or from health obligations.

The point about you wearing a burka is that was voluntary, not a life sentence of social invisibility and societal inconsequence. Women in afghanistan are not allowed to work and old widows may actually starve to death if their family are not able to help. That's the implication of the burka. You can wear one (although nowadays you'd be killed if discovered, transvestism is a capital crime) but it is not freighted in the same way.

Islam used to be an intelligent religion, 8-900 years ago their civilisation was far in advance of ours. Their preservation of greek (and indian)maths and philosophy and their extentions of it gave us a step advance once we were able to tap into it. But then, under the stress of the Crusades and Mongol invasions, the Caliph of Baghdad issued decrees that placed religious proscriptions on intellectual endeavour and islam has since degenerated into the veneration of the rote and even occasionally the stupid.

I have a friend who keeps telling me about his visits to Thailand and how all the people are happy and how their viewpoint is so different from ours. So advanced and so much at peace with their lot. I keep gently suggesting that this might be a superficial reading given how so many very oppressive political systems thrive in these regions which suggests that venal humanity is able to sink below cultural prefereneces anywhere they get an opportunity. But he still tells me that Buddhism would prevent all the bad stuff that happens. Fine, but I think the bad ape will still win.

keep to the Fen Causeway