Protectionalism - US Gambling

Discussion in 'Wall St. News' started by Neodude, Jul 18, 2006.

  1. #11     Jul 18, 2006
  2. jmccain

    jmccain

    Banning people from accessing web sites sounds a lot like communist China. Of course now that they're our best friends...

    Next they will be arresting "blue hairs" for picking up their prescription medicine in Canada.

    But don't worry, it's for your own protection, really, and it's not like there are other issues to deal with. Do we really have republicans in office?
     
    #12     Jul 18, 2006
  3. There is a reason gambling is illegal or heavily regulated by most advanced countries...

    It's not a moral issue...
    It all about counting the social costs of unrestricted gambling.

    Many of us are very familiar with the off-shore poker world...
    And we are fed an endless stream of propaganda about the big winners...
    Millionaire showdowns on TV...
    Any one can beat online poker, blah f*cking blah.

    Of course, in any zero sum game less the rake...
    Max 5% winners and 95% losers.

    So for every strutting millionaire on TV...
    There are probably 10 deadbeat dads with a drinking problem...
    And 12 broken families (accounting for poligamy).

    As Neil Young put it:
    "There's one more kid that will never go to school,
    Never get to fall in love... never get to be cool."

    Nothing is less cool... NOTHING...
    Than being a deadbeat gambler... ESPECIALLY a deadbeat day tradering mookster.

    In this BetOnSports case...
    The Feds can prove that 95% of their take was from US citizens...
    And that will be enough to put people in jail.
    Just because you can get away with it for a few years... doesn't make it legal.

    I'm a liberitarian on most issues...
    But I don't want America to become a country of pimps, drug dealers, and poker players.

    If that's what you want...
    Than vote for candidates that share your views.
     
    #13     Jul 19, 2006
  4. Cesko

    Cesko

    Good we have a federal government ready to protect us from ourself.
    What else we should be protected from? Once you start why to stop with gambling only? You are ridiculous.
     
    #14     Jul 20, 2006
  5. Neodude

    Neodude

    Agreed, Its my right what I do with my money. We are all adults and we don't need the government to "protect" us from ourselves. What is truly needed is protection from idiot politicians.

    We are supposed to be living in one of the freest countries in the world, yet we have the government telling us where and how we can spend our money, what we can put into our bodies, and what we can take out of them. I don't remember signing a contract relinquishing those rights!

    Going after off-shore companies and their owners is just another strong-arm tactic of special interest groups.

    -Neo

    EDIT: When I hear people talk about morals and ethics the only idea that comes to my mind is "Ethical Slavery". Its nothing more then pushing one's moral/ethical/religious beliefs onto others without their consent.
     
    #15     Jul 20, 2006
  6. cashonly

    cashonly Bright Trading, LLC

    If the govt is going to protect us from ourselves, why don't they go after something that will have more effect?

    Go after fast-food and junk-food companies. At least that will help save me money. If some guy blows the milk money with repeated online gambling, that doesn't affect me. If someone repeatedly eats junk food to the point where they get obese and require medical care, and enough people do that (as they do), then my insurance premiums go up even though I live healthy. And if they don't have insurance, then the hospital/medicare/medicaid have to pick it up and that also comes out of my pocket as higher rates for care meaning higher rates for premiums for me or in the form of higher taxes to cover the medicare/medicaid cost.

    That's just one example, albeit the biggest (pun intended), how about people that drink to excess, can't hold a job so they don't pay income taxes so the rest of us have to pick up the slack. How about people that get maimed in extreme sports and incur tens of thousands in hospital costs which end up increasing my premiums. How about drug and alcohol taking mothers that give birth to addicted babies, further increasing hospital costs, etc., etc., etc.

    If the government is going to do things to protect us from ourselves, why don't they start with an area where it will also protect other Americans from the effect of what these people are doing to themselves???
     
    #16     Jul 20, 2006
  7. fletch2

    fletch2

    You are confusing symptoms and diseases.

    If you think you can remove all the ways that irresponsible, self-destructive people can ruin their lives, you're nuts. And you'll be screwing over the countless more who engage in those activities responsibly, be it playing poker, or drinking, or what have you.

    That's a trade I'll pass on.

    Fletch
     
    #17     Jul 20, 2006
  8. trade7

    trade7

    Best thing in the world for them to do !!!

    These sites are ALL rigged 4 sure !!!
     
    #18     Jul 20, 2006
  9. trade7

    trade7

    Legalize it and let US companies take the billions not some Columbian drug lord !!!
     
    #19     Jul 20, 2006
  10. Well put... and I do not disagree with you.

    People can be divided into roughly 2 groups:

    (1) People that do honest, productive work and contibute to their society in a positive way.

    (2) People who chose to avoid honest work... but rather exploit the people in Group #1.

    A society like America...
    That supports Group #1 with it's legal system...
    Is much more successful in every way because of it.

    A society like Russia...
    Where 90% of the people have a purely exploitational attitude...
    And view honest work as something only for fools...
    Ends up an alcoholic, diseased, hell hole with a small class of rich criminals... and 95% poverty.

    Definition: racket

    (1) organized illegal activity
    (2) a dishonest scheme or business

    The online gambling world is a racket in it's purest form...
    And has one goal - to use greed to exploit otherwise productive citizens

    The fact that you live in Vegas in interesting...
    I used to be a pro sports bettor in Vegas in the 80s.

    Vegas is a special case.

    Because it's speciality is exploiting out-of-state tourists... the social cost is muted.
    Yet still... it's a violent place...
    With 200 times the per capita murder rate than Toronto where I live.

    If Nevada was self-contained and could exploit only Nevada residents...
    Then Nevada would resemble a Third World country.
     
    #20     Jul 20, 2006