States turn gambling from vice to virtue
Government has the responsibility to promote the public good. Schools, churches and parents are teaching values -- honesty, hard work and sacrifice. Now, the state considers promoting the something-for-nothing get-rich-quick lottery mentality.
It seems legislators are willing to rationalize their unethical encouragement of citizens to gamble in order to give us "improved education" while blurring their poor management of current revenues. The inconsistency of legalizing a government-sponsored lottery while criminally punishing other forms of gambling does not seem to cause legislators internal conflict.
Duke University ethicist Stanley Hauerwas says, "Using gambling as a form of taxation is an indication that your governments no longer have moral legitimacy. Governments may not be able to control vice, but they ought not encourage it." As George Will summarizes, "State sponsorship of lotteries and other gambling has changed the status of gambling in just one generation from social disease to social policy."
Wayne Lowman
Eden
Comments (2)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
You ask a valid question. Good luck getting a valid answer.
Posted on May 2, 2005 11:14 AM
Would investing be a form of gambling. After all the only reason people would invest is the prospect of getting something in return that is much more than what you put in. The something from nothing mentallity. Oh and when you do gamble, you still have to ante up or put something into it. The only real honest living is exchanging your sweat or tears if your an artist for monetary returns. Gambling and investing is the same in that you put money in in expectations of getting more money out than you put in. Oh and one last thing, investors are gamblers is just the difference in the name but they both do the same thing and thats put money where they are expecting greater returns. This whole financial investment schemes are just a facade to drape over the the real vice, which is greed. Some may say its not greed if you dont want too much. Wanting too much and wanting much makes the definition of want quite subjective.
Posted on August 1, 2005 4:36 PM