The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return. – Gore Vidal
While there are quite a few opinions out there that are worth reading, the one that comes closest to my own is this one from Foucault. Most of the poker bloggers and players seem to think this is a bad bill/deal, etc. They don’t understand that we will be lucky to get any (even) half way decent bill/deal. We are only possibly going to get this one because of the confluence of several (mostly bad) things –
a) democrats losing in general and republicans taking over
b) Senator Reid surviving but owing his win to the big Nevada gambling interests
c) if not now, God only knows when
d) the government really needs the new revenue source.
Note – we, as poker players, do not even factor into the equation. Our hobby (and we as enthusiasts) is viewed akin to the alcohol industry (and consumers of alcohol). Our consumption is a given. We will consume whatever is available and we are unlikely to stop doing so. Thus, we are taken for granted and not recognized as a meaningful part of the decision making process.
Moreover, I think the current online poker situation is untenable. It would probably continue for a while but at some point in the not too distant future, the whole thing crumbles under the pressure of being unable to efficiently move the money.
Who knows what is actually going to happen, but for now, I think the long term benefits of becoming legitimate appear to outweigh the disadvantages.
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1 comment:
Good post.
at some point in the not too distant future, the whole thing crumbles under the pressure of being unable to efficiently move the money.
I took out $500 from one of the places I play. Asked for it (in November) and had a check 7 days later. So far, so good, but you're probably right -- it could crumble at any point.
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