Yes, we need the nanny-state to prevent us from hurting ourselves...

*rolls eyes*

gambling has not been branded a vice over the centuries because of prudishness.

It's been banned throughout the ages and in all cultures (lasting ones) because it is a pernicious obsession that afflicts the weakminded, is exploited by the ruthless, and is suffered by the masses.

You appear to fit into one of the first two categories - most probably the first.

He didn't ban it - which would have brought about public outcry from people who fancy themselves 'liberal' around the world.

Instead, he simply exiled them - relegating them to the fringes of society, where they belong.

Gambling Appeals to people when they are economicly enslaved. The futile attempts to escape the economic slavery and the search for 'easy money' is manifest in gambling.

This search for 'easy money' and escape are exploited by the masters of the economy, further creating social problems.

Sane societies would consider gambling an extreme form of stupidity. In materialistic societies where the elites steal from everyone it is considered "normal".

Look at capitalist societies, look at who buys the lottery ticket, look at their life situations, dead end jobs, high taxes, inflation, in debt....working all your life but never having enough to pass on the lifetime of wealth accumalation. Inadequate Pension plans. Bankrupt, The State takes a big chunk and the bankers laugh, meanwhile gambling is offered to the hapless victim as a source of economic freedom. The only people who benefit from gambling are the Casino owners, never the punters.

You remind me of the sick fucks, like Bush, that seek to force their morality on everyone else. You really need to mind your own business. If someone wishes to waste their lives and moeny gambling, they should have every right to do so.

is futile. You are terminally dumb.

The perfect specimen for those who wish to study end stage cultural decline in progress.

And you are neither dumb - nor do you suffer from endstage cultural decline.

You never posted before but I recognize your outstanding signature from other venues.

Let me just say, that I think you are deeply mistaken about this issue. And when two people agree on so many other important issues - as I know that we do - they should try to bridge the gap of misunderstanding that might otherwise destroy a good relationship.

Please, let's chat realtime. You pick a time.

equally important and divisive issue that jc discussed in his outstanding article It's just a body - why do you care? published at the old blog.

The heated exchange that took place in the comments section encapsulates the struggle between the selfishness of exploitation and the love of brotherhood.

The arguments made there apply equally to gambling.

Please tell me a little about the struggle in Russia involving Putin and their crime syndicates.

I thought Putin was involved on one side with these crime guys, and the gamblers were on another side?

Is there a quick read?

It is an addiction of the mind, not much different from a chemical addiction towards cocain or amphetamins.
Gambling creates a surge of adrenalin, a high feeling, like in a person who is addicted to dangerous sports. The gambling addict might even not be too much different from a person who is addicted to pornography or sleazy sex.
It might not so much be the sexual hormons which bring on the high, but far more the feeling of danger, the adrenalin surge which is brought on with the breaking of rules.
(Actually sexual hormones decline after a certain age and adrenalin might be the only thing that gets it going.)
All addicts, not matter if they buy their chemicals or produce them in their own minds, are prone to care for their addiction more than for anything else in the world.
Even if they might be the President of the United States, they are ready to ruin their careers, their reputation and their country´s good name for it.

And even worse they are totally vulnerable to blackmail, in order to cover up, they might kill accidently, deliberatly or in case of politians vote for mass-murders(wars)

You might think, that if we just widen the rules be tolerant to most every vice in the book, the blackmail potential will decrease. But you probably do not understand, that addictions of the mind are foremost about breaking the rules. If the fences widen, they just go farther and find other fences to climb.

Economic slavery is one reason why people try to flee from their feelings of fear, desperation, hopelessnes and lack of meaning into an addiction, but the even the rich and seemingly successful throw themselves into an addiction.
When a world is so out of order, out of justice, out of truth and out of common sense, for some people the single reason for life might be to at least feel good.
It´s a sign of the decline of a civilisation, when many people from all classes can´t stand it any more without getting doped up in one way or another.

You wrote:

"You remind me of the sick fucks, like Bush, that seek to force their morality on everyone else. You really need to mind your own business. If someone wishes to waste their lives and moeny gambling, they should have every right to do so."

You misunderstand. I am not attempting to force my morality on anyone, just identifying the problems and making people aware of them. If a gambler is constantly being validated and told there is nothing wrong he/she is unlikely to see it as a problem, or a symptom of a greater evil (economic theft by the elites).

If on the other hand we talk about it and frame the issue as it is.....it may make some people recognize it, and act to change it. It is their choice.

Selling guns to young adults without ristriction may seem like a good idea, but surely those young adults need to be wise and know how to use the guns responsibly and trustworthy...otherwise it would be irresponsible to sell them weapons...even if the gun manufacturer argues that it is a brilliant idea.

You may have a point. Maybe some core gamblers do have a inner addiction 'a high'.

However sexual addictions and almost all of the addictions that a man/woman can be subject to are designed and manipulated by people in power.

'Bread and Circus' as a distraction, escape, need is used to keep people in line, so long as they do not become a concious mass, ones who are organized and who cannot be manipulated are a danger to the elites, they like people who are ignorant and who can have their impulse manipulated.

Regards

Who was it that said that gambling is a tax on the math impaired?