My only problem with Poker

[Indiana]

Let's be honest, you are being unrealistic about the meaning of life...How many merchant bankers do you know who are well remembered, and does it even matter now that they are just skeletons in a box somewhere?...You have to enjoy your life and do what you want to do...there's no sin in that whatsoever. Personally, I don't care how people remember me, I just want to get paid and enjoy what's left of my existence...Then I want to go to heaven (unless Sklansky is right and there isn't one)...

Later,

Indiana

[Charlie Kase]

Well I definently didn't mean for this thread to turn into a political discussion, but since its been brought up, I think I should defend the more soft-spoken side. First of all, you have to understand that the amount of money you make in the United States is for the most part the result of being born in the United States and residing in the United States. If you want to use the term "earn" objectively and without predjudice, then I would have to say the almost 3 billion people around the world living in poverty have technically "earned" more than you as a function of the many hardships they've had in their lives. The only reason they can't personally earn as much as you or I is due to the place, family, and time in which they were born. I would venture to say 99% of those living in poverty are there through no fault of their own, and 99% of those living in relative wealth (you and I) are here through no merit of our own. It's merely a roll of the dice to see where and when you are born, and I don't think people should be punished for something out of their control. I fully support the few government efforts to help the third world, and efforts by the UN and various other groups.

Soros happens to be one of those fortunate enough to escape the holocaust and immigrate to America, I am glad that unlike many others he has not forgotten his roots and donates substanially to charitable causes. Furthermore, I don't see anything wrong with supporting a certain side in the election, we all do, and then doing what you can to help that side. He hasn't broken any laws. Not to mention, I think I would be correct in saying the Republicans have more billionare backers than do Democrats, in fact it's so uncommon, that everyone talks about Soros and thus knows about him.

Concerning banking, and my field of merchant banking, I think the general public may not be clear on what exactly it is we do. First of all, from merchant banking, moving to investment banking or venture capitalism is as easy as crossing the street. Secondly, it's entirely imaginable that I would have the resources and connections to open my own firm within the next 2 years, which would bring considerably greater income than playing poker (unless I do exceptionally well of course). Finally, from there I could easily begin to take great amounts of equity in various companies, making me a multiple business owner/executive. But I guess the biggest distinction between poker and merchant banking, in laymens terms, is power. There is no real power in poker, but a sucessful banker exerts considerable power on a number of firms and companies, and even on the political and international level.

Hope I didn't offend anyone. And thanks for everyone's much appreciated responses.

- Kase

[jakethebake]

It didn't offend me, but what a buncha horsesh*t. It's the same bunch of morons that think the fruit of someone's labor should be stolen to take care of someone else that regulate gambling for people's own good.

You need to realize that charity and theft are not the same thing. When George Soros gives his own money willingly to help the poor, it's charity. When the government steals mine to give to them, it's theft. Or you can call it economic slavery. That term works too.

[Charlie Kase]

You make a compelling point, but following that logic, what taxes aren't stealing? Medicare, Social Security, money government spends on education, money the government spends on the police force of another state, etc. All of these taxes are taken from you to benefit another person or place. So what's wrong with money to help starving children in Africa? If you follow you're logic to the bone, then we would live in a government-less anarchy. Furthermore, you may say, well I pay for the Social Security of the elderly today, and tomorrow's children will pay for mine. Well that same principle can be applied to money given to provide clean water to those in Bangladesh. You help them today, tomorrow they can start importing American goods, or someday when you don't have any clean water to drink, they'll give you some. Oh wait, but they shouldn't right? According to your logic.

- Kase

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
You make a compelling point, but following that logic, what taxes aren't stealing? - Kase

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly!

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
or someday when you don't have any clean water to drink, they'll give you some. Oh wait, but they shouldn't right? According to your logic. - Kase

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that they shouldn't...they shouldn't be forced to!!!

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
money government spends on education - Kase

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you think we have public schools? If it were just to ensure education was available to the poor, the govt would just provide tuition vouchers. It's to ensure that our children are turned into sheep that believe it's good and right to remain under the government's boot. It's to teach them to be quiet when a govt. representative (teacher) tells them to, etc. etc.

[jakethebake]

And you do realize you're up the fuc*ing creek if you're depending on social security to support you in your old age, right?

[Charlie Kase]

LOL
Yes I do realize I'm up the creek if I plan on depending on Social Security. But if you truly do think all taxes are stealing and thus they should not exist then what kind of country do you want to live in? If there were no taxes, there would be no roads, no postal system, no military to defend us etc. And without the ability to enforce its own laws, government would become useless. The civil rights movement would've been non-existent, crime would be rampant, education would be pathetic, etc, the infrastructure of our society would die. And you wouldn't be able to talk on 2+2 internet forums, or safely play poker in a casino, and you definently wouldn't have the education to make the witty remarks you've made in these posts.

- Kase

[charlie_t_jr]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL
Yes I do realize I'm up the creek if I plan on depending on Social Security. But if you truly do think all taxes are stealing and thus they should not exist then what kind of country do you want to live in? If there were no taxes, there would be no roads, no postal system, no military to defend us etc. And without the ability to enforce its own laws, government would become useless.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes all true. But we have a constitution that outlines the purpose of the federal government...which has expanded well beyond that scope.

But what really ticks me off is the pretentious/preachy tone of your post on "starving children" and the 3rd world living in poverty. Now I realize you didn't mean it this way, but its this kind of attitude from many abroad and in this country that get under my skin...we should all be thankful for the opportunities afforded us in this country....speaking of thankful....billions of US dollars go to aid many countries, many people worldwide. That money, just like the money won at a poker table, doesn't just appear. It has to come from some where....

But are the common everyday working man in the US thanked? No...we are usually vilified. That the US, democracy, capitalism, etc is the source of evil in the world.

Joe six pack feeds the world...and he gets [censored] on in return.