America Has Gone Too Far in Legalizing Vice

The Atlantic ^ | February 11, 2023 | Matthew Loftus

[Olog-hai]

“The cause of a gambling problem is the individual’s inability to control the gambling.” So says the National Council on Problem Gambling, an organization funded by the gambling industry to help people who have become addicted to its products. This attitude—that anyone who falls into gambling addiction has only themselves to blame—has allowed state lawmakers to ignore arguments that more access to gambling might make it easier for people to lose control. Since the Supreme Court struck down previous restrictions on sports betting in 2018, 36 states have legalized it (26 of which allow mobile betting), and new ballot initiatives are proposed every year. […]

Similarly, when marijuana legalization is debated, supporters emphasize how the responsible use of marijuana might alleviate the pain of those suffering from incurable diseases. They also point to the worst excesses of the War on Drugs, which disproportionately affect (b)lack people, though are fortunately getting rarer. […]

When arguments are made for loosening the government’s restrictions on vice, usually proponents make their case with idealistic situations: Shouldn’t responsible, independent adults be able to make decisions for themselves about how they spend their money or use their body? This seems appealing, and there certainly are well-informed adults who gamble and use marijuana judiciously. But focusing on these ideal cases and basing our laws on them disregards millions of people who suffer because of their addictions—and it obscures the underhanded tactics of companies who make money off the misery of addicts. …

[Olog-hai]

Remarkable that this liberal publication would even question the legalization of vice. They approach it from the wrong angle, of course.

[Tell It Right]

Get rid of all forms of welfare and you’ll be amazed how most people will adjust back to adopting personal responsibility to the point where vices like substance addiction drop way down. At least enough to still hold a job and feed the family (like what we used to call “functioning alcoholics”).

[Nextrush]

Everybody wants to call their political opponents Nazis nowadays.

But the real Nazi Germany had an interesting characteristic as brought out by Howard K. Smith in his book “Last Train From Berlin”

“In Germany there is no pornography...there is art”

The judicial system in the 1950’s and 60’s lowered the standards in this regard leading to porn becoming art.

There was a time when showing people’s private parts in any media was a crime fines or jail possible.

Is that the answer to go back to that time? I offer no opinion.

[eyeamok]

Can you think of a better, more profitable way to TAX the Poor??

[MCSETots]

Answer to a crime problem is never redefining crime, just as the answer for prison overcrowding isn’t releasing prisoners.

Here’s a novice idea, how about we strike chord of fear into people who are thinking about committing crimes and severely punishing (up to and including executions) of those commit the crimes.

If we can’t stop them from committing crimes, maybe we can at least stop some of them from committing crimes ever again . . .

[cymbeline]

The Excusing of Vice and its first cousin The Excusing of Crime.

[RoosterRedux]

The Left is encouraging vice because it is joined at the hip with Marxists who are trying to destroy our culture and system of government.

And they are destroying families and struggling minorities in the process.

Imagine being in a K-12 class as a minority student and having your teachers tell you that your country is rigged against you. That you cannot succeed. And then imagine those same teachers telling you that right and wrong are no longer valid...and that math and science are racist.

Let that sink in.

That is bleak...hopeless.

[dragonblustar]

I read somewhere the government made it illegal for some hybrid products. Of course Pfizer is now in the game, buying up pot farms, so legal weed must go and in place will be big pharma marijuana.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Far better to have the Mafia and other gangsters run the gambling, just like the good old days.

[Olog-hai]

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

— Ecclesiastes 8:11

Not really a novel concept.

[Olog-hai]

Nonsequitur. Who says they still don’t? Always plenty of opportunity to make tax-free fortunes.

Thanks to high taxation, dealers of marijuana deemed illegal are richer than ever, too.

[cdnerds]

I was very against medical marijuana. Until I actually needed it. I had a fasciotomy on my leg and required months of rehab. In the hospital, I caught MRSA which messed up my liver. Because of this, I can't take ANY pain medications, not even an Advil. MMJ was the only thing that did not affect my liver, in fact, it improved it greatly. It has a lot of benefits, people just abuse it.

Now I market hemp-derived Delta8 for a living.

Same affects as MJ but it comes from Hemnp which is protected by the farm act of 2018.

[Olog-hai]

Only a guess, but perhaps if you had gotten out of the hospital sooner you may have not contracted MRSA. Hospitals for a long time have eschewed Joseph Lister’s antiseptic method.

[Lou L]

Two observations:

One, gambling apps seem to be endemic with college-aged males, perhaps even some females. If I were a betting man (which I sometimes am), I would not doubt that some financial aid or student loan money makes its way onto the app.

Two, the one thing that stores NEVER seemed to be out of stock with during COVID was liquor. It was even fashionable to have Zoom & wine meetings regularly-scheduled. People joked about drinking out of coffee cups while "working."

I'm not a teetotaler by any imagination, but there are a lot of vices in vogue.

[Boogieman]

“This seems appealing, and there certainly are well-informed adults who gamble and use marijuana judiciously. But focusing on these ideal cases and basing our laws on them disregards millions of people who suffer because of their addictions—and it obscures the underhanded tactics of companies who make money off the misery of addicts. …”

The same specious argument can be repurposed to argue that we need to outlaw firearms because not everyone uses them responsibly.

[ExTxMarine]

DING! DING! DING!

We have a winner!!

Back in the “good ol’ days” functioning alcoholics are what help win two world wars! It helped make America the fastest-growing industrial nation in the world! I mean, other than those and other similar things, thank God, we have decided that government handouts are so much better than personal responsibility. /s

[dfwgator]

Back in the “good ol’ days” functioning alcoholics are what help win two world wars!

"I'll drink to that!"

[Renfrew]

I’m an old-school Christian. I don’t gamble, smoke, drink, or commit adultery. I don’t think anyone else should either.

At the same time I support minimal government, and as a rule don’t want the state telling folk what they can and can’t do.

The ultimate position has to be a compromise. Balancing the harm of each vice vs. the damage to society.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Sorry, I forgot that some people need a /s tag.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Well said.

Those of us who are responsible in our personal lives, will not get into trouble with drugs, alcohol, or other vices. The question is, what laws and penalties should there be, for violators of laws and regulations regarding these issues.

Excesses seem to cause people problems. Excessive gambling, drinking, and drug use, cause people a heck of a lot of problems in their lives, even if they haven’t broken any laws.

It is good to encourage personal responsible behavior, especially in our young people as they grow up, even as we have legalized vice, as per this article.