AU64 10,122 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 27 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said: The government already does this. People pay extra taxes for the opportunity to smoke in most places. We just call them "sin taxes". No one is forcing people to play the lottery. They choose to do so at their own peril. I play every week too because it's fun. Free will is hell of a thing. I take it you watch the get rich quick ads for lotteries.....most sin taxes.....these days the purveyors of the products are not allowed to advertise the glamor of their product. Lottery in particular, if it were treated like the sin taxed items would have to warn people that they have microscopic chances of winning and that playing the lottery can be addictive. Still waiting to see the anti-lottery ad (like anti smoking) with a big overall clad guy standing in line to buy $20 work of tickets.....and a little kid beside him saying...."but daddy you said we didn't have enough money to buy me a soft drink". Interesting to me that so many liberal thinking people favoring the lottery and other gambling seem to have little awareness or concern about what it does to a society. "Free will" in my view is an easy way to excuse just about every personally and societally destructive action. ...gambling, drug use, prostitution...? JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ATX 13,654 Posted May 17, 2018 Author Share Posted May 17, 2018 7 minutes ago, AU64 said: I take it you watch the get rich quick ads for lotteries.....most sin taxes.....these days the purveyors of the products are not allowed to advertise the glamor of their product. Lottery in particular, if it were treated like the sin taxed items would have to warn people that they have microscopic chances of winning and that playing the lottery can be addictive. Still waiting to see the anti-lottery ad (like anti smoking) with a big overall clad guy standing in line to buy $20 work of tickets.....and a little kid beside him saying...."but daddy you said we didn't have enough money to buy me a soft drink". Interesting to me that so many liberal thinking people favoring the lottery and other gambling seem to have little awareness or concern about what it does to a society. "Free will" in my view is an easy way to excuse just about every personally and societally destructive action. ...gambling, drug use, prostitution...? JMO I don't watch get rich quick ads for lottos. I play because it's entertaining and I can afford it. I'm actually holding my lotto ticket from last night right now. On it, the odds are printed showing the chances of winning. There's no secret here. Have you driven through Mississippi lately? There are billboards EVERYWHERE near casino areas with hotlines for people with gambling addictions to call and warning of the perils of gambling too much. You're acting as if people have no control over themselves. It's their choice in how to spend their money. Is it stupid for some to play? Probably. But that happens at casinos every day too. You're basically arguing that people don't have the right to spend their own cash in the way they see fit. Alcoholics blow money on booze all the time, yet we aren't legislating it out of society. And yes, alcohol products advertise a glamorous lifestyle all the time (watch any high end bourbon ad). Off the top of my head: There's legalized gambling all over Europe, especially Britain. You can bet on anything over there, including this weekend's royal wedding. There's legalized prostitution in Nevada already and in the Netherlands. Weed has been legal in the Netherlands for years and the states here that have legalized it are seeing less incarcerations for it. Can you really make the argument that England, the Netherlands, the State of Washington, etc are going to hell in a handbasket because of these "societally destructive" laws? You have to let adults be adults. As long as they aren't harming others, who cares what they do in their free time with their own money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said: As long as they aren't harming others, who cares what they do in their free time with their own money? Reasonable point....but who is paying for all those addiction treatments and rehab for alcohol ? usually the tax payers....and we limit people's freedom to chose all the time....try smoking in a public building sometime for example. As for Europe.....not going to hell in a handbasket, but drugs and alcohol taking at toll on their society.....been there an seen a bit of it. Hope you win something big ....I won't $14 a couple weeks ago on a $1 scratch off at a little gas station in the middle of South Carolina ...actually in the middle of nowhere ....but while I ate lunch courtesy of the state lottery system, a pretty constant string of poor folks were coming in hoping for their ticket out of the state I guess. It's a philosophical issue and we just see it differently... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ATX 13,654 Posted May 17, 2018 Author Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 minute ago, AU64 said: and we limit people's freedom to chose all the time....try smoking in a public building sometime for example. This is a completely different discussion. No one is stopping people from choosing to smoke. They are stopping people from enacting that choice to the immediate harm of others in a confined space. Same as drinking. No one stops adults from choosing to have a drink. But that doesn't mean you can drive impaired because then, one is putting others in danger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 minute ago, Brad_ATX said: This is a completely different discussion. No one is stopping people from choosing to smoke. They are stopping people from enacting that choice to the immediate harm of others in a confined space. Same as drinking. No one stops adults from choosing to have a drink. But that doesn't mean you can drive impaired because then, one is putting others in danger. Nope.....it is way more than that...can't smoke anywhere on most school campuses for example....and just walking around drunk will get you put in jail....we have list of AU football players (mostly former players) who can attest to that. We try to control the consequences of the "sins" we allow and tax...primarily because government loves the money...and will sacrifice the well being of it's citizens to keep the money flow coming in. ....it's certainly not some libertarian or freedom of choice view that keeps those products legal. I'm conservative but not libertarian.....and not quite an "anything goes" type of person....seen too much of what happens when that's the approach. As I say....it's philosophical.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevon67 2,368 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Lets sell percocet over the counter without a prescription........limit 30 a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NolaAuTiger 3,295 Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 On 5/16/2018 at 10:00 AM, Brad_ATX said: Oh there are a couple of road trips in the SEC that just got a lot better. Ole Miss (Tunica) and Kentucky (ponies + sports betting) say hello! L’auberge (LSU) Baton Rouge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ATX 13,654 Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 17 minutes ago, NolaAuTiger said: L’auberge (LSU) Baton Rouge Haven't been to that one. Usually just shoot down to NOLA for my gambling fix when at an LSU game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NolaAuTiger 3,295 Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 4 hours ago, Brad_ATX said: Haven't been to that one. Usually just shoot down to NOLA for my gambling fix when at an LSU game. I like L’auberge better than Harrah’s. Maybe becuase BR is so boring overall, and much else to do in nola besides casino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.