Internet Dragnet
Posted July 24th, 2006 by Chip Bok
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Busting Internet child predators is so popular, they're going after the adult ones too.
On July 16 the FBI arrested the CEO of a Costa Rica gambling business that caters to Americans.
China stifles Internet dissent. The U.S. Congress cracks down on on-line gambling.
Taking a page from the Chinese, you can even be busted for writing about on-line gambling if it's considered promotional. What about drawing about it?
All you people watching ESPN poker, drop your chips and come out now with your hands up.
July 24th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
It gets worse. The ABC affiliate in Denver is reporting that people are being placed on watch lists by federal air marshals for taking pictures of planes - to meet quotas.
"The air marshals, whose identities are being concealed, told 7NEWS that they're required to submit at least one report a month. If they don't, there's no raise, no bonus, no awards and no special assignments."
Sounds like this is modeled after the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department's ticketing policy.
July 25th, 2006 at 12:45 am
Is this a copy and paste????
"The air marshals, whose identities are being concealed, told 7NEWS that they're required to submit at least one report a month. If they don't, there's no raise, no bonus, no awards and no special assignments."
July 25th, 2006 at 4:32 am
It's odd to me how gambling's become considered such a harmless hobby. It wasn't too long ago that gambling was illegal everywhere but Atlantic City and Las Vegas, once known as "Sin City."
These days, the government objects to gambling only when taxes aren't being paid, and most states even sponsor gambling through lotteries that amount to a tax on the poor.
Now we've got a conservative editorial cartoonist and our most liberal blog commentator both implying that internet gambling is a basic freedom.
I guess I missed the memo somewhere along the line.
July 25th, 2006 at 5:51 am
Larry, for the record I think it's a waste of time to outlaw gambling, just as it would be to outlaw most drugs or alcohol or cigarettes. We tried Prohibition before and that was a disaster. People will find a way. That doesn't mean I don't think it has a negative impact on society. Where my brother used to
work, every Monday morning the bookies would come in and march 2-3 of his employees down to the ATM to collect.
Sports and gambling have a symbiotic relationship, otherwise who would watch UTEP play New Mexico State? Few would unless they had a $50 bill on the outcome.
I think part of the issue is the ready access to cash that a credit
card affords. It's far too easy to enter your number and ring up a $1000 credit with these online poker games. If credit card companies were responsible, they'd block the transaction, but the odds of that happening are about 100-1.
July 25th, 2006 at 5:54 am
Sam, Yes that was a clip and paste, but I think that since I write
volumes without clipping and pasteing, that gives me the right
to do so here and there to back up a point. Whatever. Do what
want.