Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utcsri.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!clarke From: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke) Newsgroups: can.politics Subject: Re: Lotteries Message-ID: <1243@utcsri.UUCP> Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 09:26:09 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsri.1243 Posted: Thu Jul 11 09:26:09 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 11-Jul-85 09:41:25 EDT References: <1121@ubc-cs.UUCP> <1110@mnetor.UUCP> <695@lsuc.UUCP> <1218@mnetor.UUCP> <702@lsuc.UUCP> Reply-To: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke) Distribution: can Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto Lines: 22 Summary: In article <702@lsuc.UUCP> jimomura@lsuc.UUCP (Jim Omura|Barrister Jimomura Solicitor|Toronto) writes: > ... > As for lotteries being immoral, suit yourself. >I won't argue morality. Purely out of personal >interest, what is the basis for your version of >morality. I have no intention of arguing it's >validity. It's your business. I agree with the comment that lotteries are immoral. They have been called -- perhaps in an attempt to find a bon mot, but truly all the same -- "a tax on the stupid". A rational person who knows something about probability and has alternative ways to improve his or her situation does not buy lottery tickets. Therefore to buy lottery tickets you must be either (1) stupid or (2) hope- lessly poor. I consider it immoral for politicians who are neither stupid (in spite of our common prejudices) nor poor to offer this kind of temptation to people whose money would be better spent buying milk. I understand the temptation for the politicians themselves: they want to keep me happy by using lottery profits to keep taxes down. But most immoral actions are prompted by some kind of temptation. I'd rather pay higher taxes, thanks.