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| English: A map showing U.S. states currently offering Powerball and Mega Millions, as of June 2009. Red states offer PowerBall, blue states offer Mega Millions, and fuchsia states offer both. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
But wait. Who buys lottery tickets? Isn't it mainly 99%ers?
'Cause I thought 99%ers were all about dispersement of wealth, not the aggregation of wealth into the hands of a few -- which is what this lottery is all about, isn't it? Isn't this reverse 99%er logic? Or does it really show that when the 99%ers attack 1%ers, it's really nothing more than envy?
Isn't every 99%er who buys a lottery ticket at some level a hypocrite? "I want to take from you and you and you and you and you... and give to me."
It's reverse wealth redistribution at work, and it reveals more clearly than any amount of rhetoric the real motives that lurk in the human heart.
At least, that's my take on it.
3 comments:
This would be true if the people who run the lottery didn't make money off the lottery. Every time. It's gambling. And the house always wins.
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Years ago, I lived in an apartment where, one summer, this English student rented a room. One day, my roommate and I said we were thinking of buying a lottery ticket. He said "Oh. Yes. Lotteries. We have them in England too. We call them a tax on the ignorant."
Anon1152. I suppose the participants could rationalize their behavior by saying, "the profits are going to a good cause" and forget about their larcenous motives.
So, are you using your lottery winnings to fund your philosophy training?
PS -- I envy you (in a good way). I would love to study philosophy formally. I make do with reading Edward Feser's blog.
Alas, I have no lottery winnings to speak of. (Though I once won 1000 dollars with a scratchoff ticket... that dwarfs the money I owe in student loans)
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I'll have to check out Edward Feser's blog more often. I just found it (thanks to you and google) and it looks interesting.
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As for profits going to a good cause... that's my rationalization when I buy government scratchoff tickets. It's also my rationalization when I go to government liquor stores. I tell myself that, given that taxes that are built into the system, I'm paying for my future liver transplant.
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