Is it normal that you can go to war when you're 18, but not drink alcohol?

We can rack up 100's of thousands of dollars of debt in college loans as well at 18. :/

I could go into a rant about the unending toxic influence of the Puritan mindset on the American psyche and American laws, but I'll restrain myself.

I agree that it is absurd that American teenagers can be sent off to war, to handle weapons that deal out mass death and risk being killed themselves when they aren't trusted to deal with alcohol responsibility. However, the statistics show that American teens are truly crap drivers as a rule (even worse than their parents), alcohol is a major contributing factor in road fatalities, and I'm sure the carnage on American roads would be much worse if incompetent and inexperienced teenage drivers had easy access to alcohol.

It's just one of those weird American things...

Same as driver's ed without professional training, not having to store your firearm in a secure safe and spray cheese XD

Vote, go to war, drive an RV, buy a gun, get married, get divorced, have a sex change - yes on all of those.
Have a beer - IMPOSSIBLE! Better put down that Bud light junior, or good 'ol uncle Sam is gonna go apeshit on your ass!

That's the American baby boomers and liberals for you. All those 60,70, and 80 year olds that are runnings things.
Do your research, these same people had sit-ins and protests Durning the sixties about the same issues. "If you're old enough to fight and die for your country then you're an adult and old enough to make your own decisions!"
Which by the way I happen to agree with. It does take about 10 to 20 years for other countries but they normally follow the USA lead. That time frame is getting shorter because of the internet but the internet ha also left others to see just how stupit, corrupt, or self serving the Americans are.
Anyway, they got the laws changed smoking, drinking, voting, driving, loans, finances in general, all were changed. However in typical American fashion once they got theirs then the rules needed to be changed again. Their children needed to be protected and they knew better than these bratty young teenagers.
Drinking was one of the first things to go back up and it was no longer a state issue they made it federal. Smoking went federal age 21 in 2019. They've been trying to do that for over 40 years. They've also been working on driving and loans back to 21 or older,
Yet they want voting to be 16, gives a hint of what's behind all these changes, 'Control'.

In the 70s and 80s they worked on getting rid of pensions and retirement benefits. "Give me my money now, let me invest it"
That worked out as long as you were making good money and actually invested it. Some just wanted more money now, who cares about retirement we'll fight for that later.

90s were social security is going broke we need to change it's rules. Of course not to effect those getting close to retirement or making over and above certain incomes.

2000s became medical because their medicare system wasn't good enough, and most employer sponcered pensions and medical had been eliminated.

I do agree if you're old enough to fight and die you should be considered an adult for everything. I also have my doubt if today's 18 to 20 year olds are mature and responsible enough to compare to those that moved out on there own and/or started working at 15 or 16. We coddle our children into adulthood they're lucky if they're ready for responsibility at 25.

You get my point though they changed the rules to benefit them every step of the way. When you hear a boomer say anything read between the lines !!!

If you want to get shot for somebody’s oil money you go right ahead, keeps you from annoying people in the bar.

The laws appear to be fine.

it was in the 70s and there was lotsa trouble so the madd mothers shut it down

Yeah it doesnt make sense

I started drinking at 14 looking back on things wasnt the best thing I was doing with my dumbass friends.

But yes I do find it odd how at 18 one can join the military but cant get some booze.

you can drink when you are 18 in the UK

cAnt relate i live in the UK

Nah, it's retarded. I would do what they do in Germany and that and put soft liquor to 16 and hard liquor to 18. Ironically they don't have the binge drinking culture of America. I think something about repressing liquor that hard makes people want to do it more.

WTF. where the hell do you live that has laws preventing 18 year olds from drinking? What age are you allowed to drink alcohol?