Bob Hawke Alcoholic?
For those who are not Australian, Bob Hawke was Prime Minister of Australia 1983-1991. Many radical reforms were enacted during his term in office, including floating the AUD, de-regulating the banks and probably the biggest and best, the introduction of universal health care. Retrospectively he's considered one the greatest and most influential PMs in Australian history.
My reason for posting this is that I've been watching retrospectives on his life, and he was a very heavy drinker, his friends said an Alcoholic, when he was head of the main Trade Union body, and already very well known. As a young Rhodes Scholar at Oxford he held a beer skulling record for years, and many said he didn't ease up later in life. He was almost always under the influence, although never stumbling or blacking out.
I'll get to the point.....
He always intended to move into politics, and then become PM, so when he was ready he decided to stop drinking, and did. During his whole time in politics and as PM he never touched a drop.
Later when he went back to civilian life he did drink again but not to excess like before.
Not sure where I'm going with this. Was he a real A, or just someone who got into the habit in a drinking culture? And becoming sober for him was an act of will, motivated by his huge ambition. It's interesting that he was able to drink again - that makes me think he wasn't hard wired as an A.
Vale Bob Hawke, 1929-2019.