Monday, July 09, 2007

Winning the Lottery

On the train into work this morning I caught sight of a fellow passenger sharing indignation with the Sun newspaper. Mugger won £4m on lottery! It turns out the winner had previously mugged an 88 year-old lady for £6 to fuel his gambling habit. Apparently, fury among readers of the Sun is stoked by such an undeserving winner.

Well gamblers and readers of the Sun... that's how gambling works. You see, winners are not chosen on merit. A person gambles in the hope of getting something without earning it. It seems just a little two-faced to get upset that someone else gained what he never deserved.

A gambler's winnings are wholly at another's loss. But don't let the exploitation gnaw at blunted conscience - the odds are overwhelmingly in favour of once again becoming one of the chumps funding another unworthy winner.

5 comments:

Lord Nazh said...

He should have to forfeit 1/2 (after taxes) of his winnings to the lady.

_ said...

He should have to forfeit 1/2 (after taxes) of his winnings to the lady.

That's an interesting judgment. What if it turns out the lady was an axe-murderer?

lady macleod said...

there are times when one can say the same for democracy...Inshallah.

Lord Nazh said...

What she turns out to be after has no reflection on what he did to her.

Stealing from a criminal is still stealing. If she then turned out to be a criminal, then judgement would be meted out against her.

James Higham said...

Onyx,

It is Wednesday and I have only 14 votes from 49.

If you're thinking of waiting until the last minute, may I beg you to reconsider. Though we gave a date of Friday evening, the longer our members refrain from voting, the longer we are preserving the agony.

May I humbly and respectfully ask that you don't let it go that long but get your vote in soon so we know what is happening?

Yours, James