Posted by
UncaAlby on Thursday, October 05, 2006 4:00:14 PM
WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE?
Last week Lady Liberty received yet another black eye from Congressional Republicans looking to shore up their religious conservative base.
Touting the “morality” – or lack thereof – with Internet gambling, they passed new regulations that would make it virtually illegal for any US bank to process transactions to Internet gambling companies. This effectively shuts down Internet gambling almost completely, since Americans spend more than half of all gambling worldwide.
And they snuck it into a port security bill, as if protecting us from terrorists has anything whatsoever to do with protecting us from our own hobbies.
Nevermind that gambling is legal all over the world, specifically, in places where the Internet gambling companies operate. Nevermind that the law expressly carves loop holes big enough to push a stack of crap tables through for US lotteries, US horse racing, US fantasy sports betting, Indian casinos, and, of course, online betting handled by US companies in states where regular gambling is already legal.
Dubya will sign it. Of course he’ll sign it. He has never seen a morality issue that can’t be signed into the Law of the Land, regardless of whether it’s anybody’s business, let alone the Federal Government’s. Want money for your religion? Here y’go, Faith-Based Government Money. Want cheap drugs for Grandpa? Step right up, here’s a nice trillion-dollar Medicare bill that your great-great-grandkids will still be paying for. Having a little trouble with competition? How’s about some nice fat steel and lumber subsidies. Nevermind making steel and wood products (practically everything) cost more for everybody else.
This is Protectionism at its finest. This is Big Government at its best.
SO WHY AREN’T WE HEARING FROM ALL THESE SELF-LABELED FREE MARKET, SMALL GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS-FRIENDLY CONSERVATIVES ABOUT THE INTERNET GAMBLING ISSUE?
Maybe – they agree with a ban on Internet gambling?
That would be typical. I’ve long said that many conservatives are all against Big Government right up until they see a good use for it. I.e., they don’t like Big Government butting into their lives, but it’s ok to use it to butt into other peoples’ lives. Religious conservatives believe that the gambling is “evil”, so sure, use Big Government to make it illegal. They believe televised “sleaze” is “evil”, so sure, have the FCC penalize it.
Thank you, Christio-fascism.
(I just coined that term, like it? It means, in effect, agreeing completely with Sharia law, except using the Bible instead of the Koran.)
The whole thing is a protectionist scam. US gambling companies are going to jump on this bandwagon big time, you’d better believe it. Americans are still going to spend billions of dollars gambling, regardless of what it might say in the Bible. They’ll just be forced to do it in Nevada, or at an Indian casino, or at their local Lottery (tax on stupidity) retailer.
So why don’t we hear about this on Townhall.com? WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE?
Is the Foley sex scandal all that juicy that we’re going to let it distract us from real issues?
All I hear from conservatives is, “Democrats this” and “Democrats that.” Geez, I get so sick of hearing about how awful the Democrats are. It’s like being nagged about cleaning up your room or washing the dishes. Everybody agrees it needs to be done, but after the 300th reminder, it kinda goes in one ear and out the other.
Republican apologists keep trying to remind us all that, well sure, Republicans in the last few years have been a little, well – disappointing – but hey, Democrats would be worse! (but, it was Republicans who broke all the spending and big-government records) – but hey, Democrats can’t handle the War on Terrorism! (even though Democrats sent troops and arms into Somalia, Haiti, Yugoslavia, et cetera) – but hey, the Democrats would spend all your money and be hypocrites about it (oh, well, I suppose Republicans would know all about that) – etc. etc. etc.
I don’t know, folks, but I think that fellow who said there was only a dime’s difference between the two parties is waiting for his change.