The author of Robinson Crusoe once defended gin and other distilled spirits out of a nationalist desire to keep wealth in the country and promote British liquor over foreign dinks. It’s also worth mentioning that his published defenses were funded by distillery companies, effectively making him paid propaganda to sell liquor while blaming the character of individuals for the sins and crimes committed while intoxicated. He condemned low-quality gin but eventually reversed course once he saw the effects that mass drinking was having in communities.