Conservatives screwing things up again...

[JamesSD]

US House easily approves Internet gambling ban
By Peter Kaplan
Article

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. House on Tuesday approved a Republican-written bill to crack down on Internet gambling, in what critics said was an election-year appeal to the party's conservative base.

The House voted 317-93 to impose a ban on most forms of Internet gambling by making it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites. Internet gambling generates some $12 billion annually worldwide, half from American gamblers.

The bill exempted horse racing and lotteries from the ban.

"This is a scourge on our society. It causes innumerable problems," Republican Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, one of the bill's sponsors, said on the House floor before the vote.

The House bill, which was also sponsored by Jim Leach of Iowa, is part of the Republican party's emphasis on moral values as congressional elections approach this fall.

It won support from majorities of both Republicans and Democrats.

Supporters cited examples of college students and other young people whose lives were ruined after they became addicted to Internet gambling. In one case, they said, a man robbed a bank to try to recover his losses. (article continues)


I thought Republicans were supposed to be free trade.

THIS is what you get when you vote Republican. Restricted freedom. I can't wait til the Dems retake the house later this year.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I would direct you to read John Dean's book "Conservatives With Out Conscience". It'll scare the hell out of you.

 

[Huckleman2000]

I've read really great things about that book - I was going to start a thread about some of the things he writes about.

How have you read it already? It only got released today, didn't it?

 

[rgraham666]

Respectfully, I don't regard the people who hijacked the term 'conservative' as conservatives.

They're revolutionaries.

And 'free trade' is their 'dictatorship of the proletariat'. A term that is endlessly invoked to excuse whatever they decide to do at the moment. It has no real meaning.

 

[Liar]

Respectfully, I don't regard the people who hijacked the term 'conservative' as conservatives.

They're revolutionaries.

Right wing, Christian moralist radicals.

But that are too many words for a business card, I guess.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Well.... you can still use an e-check through Paypal!

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Lord knows I'm no Republican, but 317-93: The cynical, hypocritical chest-thumping on this one was bipartisan.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Rhetorical question: How many who condemn this misguided effort to protect the poor boobs from themselves support regulations on other kinds of businesses intended to protect the poor boobs from themselves, such as severe restrictions on "payday lenders," or laws that require consumer lenders to consider whether "the segment of the audience to which the statement is directed can reasonably be expected to comprehend it." If you support the latter then on what basis oppose this law? (Full disclosure: I oppose all of them.)

 

[R. Richard]

Lord knows I'm no Republican, but 317-93: The cynical, hypocritical chest-thumping on this one was bipartisan.

It will be interesting to see the vote in the Senate.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I now see a business opportunity in Canada or Mexico for US gambling sites. A new credit card (GamblerCard), for use strickly on gambling sites around the world, also excepted at every Casino in the US.

Remember, If you're going to gamble online, get GamblerCard! Then only way to pay!

 

[dirtyjoe69]

won't work in Canada. We are as bad at protecting people from themselves as any other country.

I hate legislated morality....if you are too weak to take care of yourself then guess what....survival of the fittest baby! it just means you aren't supposed to make it!

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Then the Camen Islands then, where ever.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Come on. The LAW is supposed to describe the society. For instance, society thinks murder and robbery are wrong so there are laws against them.

What's happened since 9/11 is a different thing. Rather than Society leading the Law, the Law is leading Society. This is a result of the nazi-conservative White House administration sucking cock with the far right religious fanatics like Jerry Falwell.

Get a grip.

 

[Guest]

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

It's amazing to me that our "representatives" think we don't see the hypocrisy in voting for this when our states make trillions from the poor and addicted via lotteries.

In other words, they're just eliminating the competition. *spit*

It gets worse: State lotteries are exempted! So is the politically powerful horse race racket, er, industry. (A racket only because it uses its political clout to limit competition with protectionist laws, mostly at the state level. Nothing wrong with horsies racing per-se. Some of my best friends are horsies.)

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

So... is this basically preventing (in intention, perhaps?) people from risking money they don't have on gambling?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

So... is this basically preventing (in intention, perhaps?) people from risking money they don't have on gambling?

Yes and no. It legislation of morality.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

So... is this basically preventing (in intention, perhaps?) people from risking money they don't have on gambling?

essentially... it's a side effect...

 

[rgraham666]

won't work in Canada. We are as bad at protecting people from themselves as any other country.

I hate legislated morality....if you are too weak to take care of yourself then guess what....survival of the fittest baby! it just means you aren't supposed to make it!

I found out long ago I'm nowhere near one of 'the fittest'.

Does that mean I should die?

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Yes and no. It legislation of morality.

But... we already legislate morality. Been doing it for years. Hammurabi did it. Founding Fathers did it. Is it just that we don't like this particular part of morality being legislated for some reason? And are arguments to the effect of social welfare being furthered by restricting people from falling righteously and crazily far into debt with credit establishments by literally gambling away their credit just... negligible?

What am I missing?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

But... we already legislate morality. Been doing it for years. Hammurabi did it. Founding Fathers did it. Is it just that we don't like this particular part of morality being legislated for some reason? And are arguments to the effect of social welfare being furthered by restricting people from falling righteously and crazily far into debt with credit establishments by literally gambling away their credit just... negligible?

What am I missing?

Yes it has been. There are some moarally objectional things that should, like murder, robbery, etc. But online gambling? Me, not that I do, sitting at my computer gambling does not hurt you, even though morally objectional because I have a family to support, it does you no harm. Therefore it should not be legislated for my own good. I will have to work out where and how I will replace the money I lost by being stupid.

Soon, we will see legislation on daytrading over the internet.

 

[SweetPrettyAss]

It gets worse: State lotteries are exempted! So is the politically powerful horse race racket, er, industry. (A racket only because it uses its political clout to limit competition with protectionist laws, mostly at the state level. Nothing wrong with horsies racing per-se. Some of my best friends are horsies.)

I'm sure the legal casinos called in some of their favors to get this passed also. All casinos have ATM machines and you can get a cash advance there on your credit card. Governments have always legislated against what they consider immorality. That's why prostitution is illegal in most places.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Yes it has been. There are some moarally objectional things that should, like murder, robbery, etc. But online gambling? Me, not that I do, sitting at my computer gambling does not hurt you, even though morally objectional because I have a family to support, it does you no harm. Therefore it should not be legislated for my own good. I will have to work out where and how I will replace the money I lost by being stupid.

Soon, we will see legislation on daytrading over the internet.

So... (just so I have this straight)

We're saying that essential responsibility of government and Law is to prevent hurting to the tune of murder and robbery (obvious gross violations of security and safety, as well, I'm not being picky about it really)?

 

[dirtyjoe69]

don't even get me started on the prostitution issue!
dumbest law ever made! why not protect prostitues and make it legal? makes no sense to me

 

[Guest]