I’ve tilted against the existence of State Monopoly windmills in the past (and occasionally in the present). I’ve little regard for these parasitic organs of the State….that have no business existing nor interacting within private markets. Whether in price discrimination or erecting economic barriers to entry – I see no cogent rationale for them to exist. Nor have I heard a single soul proffer such a reason. Give it if you’ve got it. You don’t.

Some may be fatigued by my diatribes, others might be supplicant to the concept…..or ultimately ambivalent. And hey – it’s the reality.

Fair point.

A couple of weeks back, I enjoyed a gent’s company at the Campbell River Legion (#137) over top of a few Old Vienna’s through an hour….and found an honest-to-goodness activist who’d not only served on City Council, but had run with the provincial government of the day. He staunchly opposed to the introduction of any form of State sponsored gambling within the Province of British Columbia.

Turns out he was an outlier, and quickly shuttled to the outside. No more CC’s on those important emails….no requests for comment. He recognized early the societal harms that can emerge from unfettered (and unregulated) gaming, and advocated for some sort of ‘governor’ (as it were) on policy formation in the Province.

Our commentary differed: I believe a ‘fair game’ offered to constituents is the right thing to do, but by the private sector. His option (or ‘governor’) was for the State to operate, but to restrict gaming to a locale. That any individual wishing to partake be put into a position of deliberate travel. An exercise whereby if ‘we’re’ going to confiscate superior profit….government should demand the lazy not be able to partake. That it shouldn’t be ‘easy’. An active exercise of choice – as it were.

I thought to myself – what that position means is acceptance of a social ill – but that deliberation (and action) should be demanded.

We differed on little in social outcomes, but existed world’s apart politically. His perspective came from being a musician whose livelihood was decimated by the introduction of video lottery terminals (VLTs) in Alberta – which – he saw as transferring demand for entertainment to a lust for coffee and cigarettes and staring at a losing game. It was a perspective I’d never heard before.

If payouts on VLT’s or Keno or Poker or pull tabs in Canada were replicated in the State of Nevada – the State Monopolies up here would be indicted on racketeering charges within a week. The public doesn’t know this: they’re promised a dream at an unfair value. And the payouts up here – as offered by gov’t – are usurious.

What kind of Nation-State does this? The one that can.

The empty-souled – those who’ve initiated and built the State Monopolies in Canada – seek nothing more than a pension while denying the citizen access to opportunity. That’s big to me.

I’ll belay regaling my small ‘L’ libertarian political leanings….but leave our readers with this.

You’ll hear often of the ills of ‘Capitalism’ and the ‘race to the bottom’. You won’t hear much about how much your respective Province is screwing the lowest income and most vulnerable demographics in our society: because it doesn’t serve their purpose.

If I’ve a pulpit, it’s just been used. I won’t go there again, but I thank you for the opportunity to do so. And for your support.