More on the Legislation...

In response to Richard (Quiet Lion) Brodie, who honors me by reading my humble blog (and he should read the REAL strategy stuff at the VPP Blog)...and who mentioned in a comment that Orwell's 1984 was written 56 years ago in 1948...

You know, Richard, I didn't even see that in the article. Had I proofread before I cut/paste this morning (note the time--baby was awake), I'd have spotted it in a heartbeat.

Doesn't change the fact that it scares the daylights out of me that our government seems to be chopping away at our liberties in the bogus interest of security and morals...It's seeming like this country is becoming rapidly no better than Orwell's world...

When I first saw the information about the legislation, I was angry. I admit. Now that I've had some time to digest the information, what the legislation means, and what is REALLY going on in this country, I'm infuriated. The large sites have all come to the US government and basically BEGGED to be regulated/taxed a la the UK, but the US government, on its high moral horse, refused. It's amusing, and here I really don't care who I piss off, but a forum that I participate in (not VPP) has several members--who are all outstanding people, by the way--that have very different political views to mine. They toss around words in the off-topic forums like "liberal" like it's roughly equivalent to "child molester." They defend the Republican right like it [as a unit] is their very own child, and defend the policies, because of varying reasons, some starting from 9/11, others starting from the conservative natures of their home states/upbringing.

My question to them is, what now my friends? Our government, led by true POLITICIANS (the real "dirty word" in this equation) have screwed us royally. The great joke of our nation is that we are a "representative democracy." Our politicians have no interest in representing us. They represent only those that line their pockets.

Here's to them learning in November that no matter how much money special interests funnel into their bank accounts, the REAL people that sign their paychecks are pretty pissed off, and we're tired of being repeatedly disappointed by those we elected to office, on empty promises.

...and that goes for BOTH sides of the aisle, boys.

You want to make a difference? Make your voice heard. Call your Senators? No. They couldn't (for the most part) give a damn less. Make your voice heard with your VOTE. Vote these miscreants out--NOW. Let's not make the same mistake twice.

Go, CJ!

Couldn't have said it better myself. Go read CJ at Up for Poker!

The seedy side of politics is ugly. Always has been. Always will be. What today has ensured for me is that I will never, ever vote for Bill Frist for anything. In fact, I will campaign vigorously against him.

Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) has a great deal of sway over the Republican caucus that will help launch a potential 2008 GOP nominee. Rep. Jim Leach wanted an internet gambling bill passed this session. Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) made this happen. Sen. Bill Frist will be running for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Quid pro quo is alive and well.

The Port Security Act is a long overdue piece of legislation that's designed to make this nation safer. It took Congress five years after 9/11 to finally make this happen, and in its haste to get it done before a mid-term elections, this Congress "didn't have time" to also protect our mass transit. They did, however, "have time" to add a new bill designed to curb internet gambling.

What this Congress is saying, then, is that it is more important to attack the scourge of online gaming than it is to make sure our buses and trains do not blow up. This is the Congress we elected. This is the Congress we have to get rid of.

By an overwhelming margin of 409-2, the House moments ago passed the Port Security Act. The Senate will soon vote where it will pass by a similar overwhelming margin.

On the bill itself, let's remember that it doesn't make onling gambling illegal. Online gambling is already illegal in most cases. Instead, it makes it much more difficult for existing online gambling sites to do business with Americans. It makes it harder for Americans to perform any financial transactions with online gaming sites.

However, just because it makes it harder doesn't mean it makes it impossible. I have a tremendous amount of faith in the international business community to outsmart this bill. After all, when we're ranking the collective intelligence of different groups, the U.S. Congress ranks just ahead of lobotomy patients and just behind slightly retarded monkeys.

Screw You, Senator Frist...and your Fat-Cat Friends, Too...

Internet Gambling Bill passes Senate attached to Port Security Bill
From EOG.com
written September 29, 2006

Republican leaders reach a port security conference deal and the Internet Gambling bill also was included and passed tonight.

A major maritime security bill headed to the House floor tonight with a last-minute provision that cracked down on the $12 billion online gambling industry but without other controversial additions, such as court security measures and protections for phone companies that cooperate with government wiretapping, House Homeland Security Chairman King told CongressDaily today.

King earlier said the text of the conference report had been completed and would be brought to the House floor tonight for a vote. House and Senate Republican leaders were trying earlier today to attach last-minute measures to the bill. The only one that survived was from Senate Majority Leader Frist that would crack down on Internet gambling, King said.

Sadly, a bill to make 361 seaports safer from biological, chemical or nuclear attacks was passed tonight in the House and Senate. Democrats complained it shorted security for railroads and mass transit. Republicans successfully added a measure to restrict Internet gambling.

The bottom line is that the our government has now passed a bill making Internet gambling a crime for both the operator and any individual or institution involved in online gambling.

All that's left is for the President to sign it before it becomes law.

George Orwell had it right over 20 years ago when he wrote, "1984."

"Big Brother" is indeed watching you.

God bless America, land of the free?



I will be speaking with my vote in November. Now, we're pissed. All of us. To reiterate a London newspaper after the re-election of Bush in 2004, "How can 53 million people be so stupid?"