[billbears]

Perhaps the fact that it's sponsored by the government and it is based on betting when people are going to be killed? Do you really want to cross that moral road? Tie this government sponsored program in with some of the reality shows that are out as of late and you've got everything you need for a real version of The Running Man

[Rodney King]

Perhaps the fact that it's sponsored by the government and it is based on betting when people are going to be killed? Do you really want to cross that moral road? Tie this government sponsored program in with some of the reality shows that are out as of late and you've got everything you need for a real version of The Running Man

OK, so it's a moral thing. Doesn't bother me, does bother you. I can accept that.

[Montfort]

The idea is not for the US to make money off of terrorism, but to tempt the folks who are privy to terrorists' plans. We know that some folks connected with Al Qaeda made bets against GE and others based on their knowledge of upcoming Sept 11 plans. It is kind of hard to monitor the stock investing of every person connected with Islamic extremism, so our government was inviting them to come to us with information. This would draw in information from folks who otherwise might not invest in US stocks, anyway. Many people mislead themselves into thinking that there is anonymity on the internet. They would place a bet on-line from Islamabad, but would never invest with Morgan Stanley.

Some of the dim bulbs over on yahoo boards are somehow suggesting that this was a way for well-connected Americans to make money off of terrorism. It must be hard to go through life without any powers of perception or reasoning.

I can understand how this might look tasteless, but it might also be very effective and save many American lives. I guess the problem is that some folks might actually bet right based on luck alone, and this would be intolerable to some.

The reality is that this sort of betting arrangement probably exists on-line already, but our government would not get a first look at all the bets and the IP addresses of the people who placed them, etc. Yes, many would be careful, but some will make a mistake and make a big bet on a terrorist act happening on a particular day. I just hope our government will be able to get that information somehow.