The op-ed page of the unapologetically right-wing Washington Times is last place I thought I'd find a well thought-out article denouncing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act. Penned by the Cato Institute's Clyde Wayne Crews, Jr. the piece provides a more libertarian analysis of the legislation and its potential economic consequences. Most of all, it condemns the manner in which this legislation "runs roughshod over individual freedoms" by allowing the government to make choices for its citizens about how they spend their own hard-earned money.
"One gets the impression the real motive behind the legislation is not to protect against crime or terrorism but to legislate behavior" says Crews.
Crews also contends that the legislation's very definition of "gambling" is subject to interpretation. "Even investing can be a 'gamble' in the sense that 'the opportunity to win is predominantly subject to chance' -- as the legislation defined 'gambling,'" he writes.
Check out the entire piece "Gambling with Freedom" here.
