General Discussion

Gravitycollapse

(8,155 posts) Sun May 19, 2013, 03:32 AM May 2013

You don't deserve 600,000,000 dollars. [View all]

Neither do I.

You shouldn't gain your fiscal success through pure chance. This is essentially no different from the sons and daughters of the hyper-wealthy who inherit vast fortunes.

The lottery is a one of the most highly organized celebrations of unequal wealth redistribution I have ever seen. Take from the many and give to the few.

The lottery is a really disgusting and pathetic manifestation of nearly everything that is wrong with our modern capitalist society. They hang the false narrative of the "American dream" in front of us like a carrot, and off we run, hoping to catch a bite.

Buying a lotto ticket is not just an insanely unwise waste of money, it represents one's complicity in the very system that perpetuates the continued gulf between the haves and have-nots.

The next time you consider buying a lotto ticket, take that dollar and give it to a local charity. You are statistically no further away from being a millionaire and you're helping those in need.

Just my 2 cents.

143 replies

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Highlight:

You don't deserve 600,000,000 dollars. [View all] Gravitycollapse May 2013 OP

That's odd. I always thought I deserved 600,000,000 dollars DFW May 2013 #1

You don't deserve 600,000,000 dollars. No one person deserves that kind of fortune. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #2

Lighten up, Francis DFW May 2013 #4

So we don't have the right to say that people deserve medical care? Or shelter? Or food? Gravitycollapse May 2013 #10

You were on about money, not medical care, shelter or food DFW May 2013 #14

Agree 100% n/t ChazII May 2013 #102

I have arthritis, Rincewind May 2013 #113

Paying a buck or two for the fantasy seems innocent enough, Ron Green May 2013 #3

Yes. The Koch brothers are the ones who don't deserve $600 million. SharonAnn May 2013 #136

all I wanted to win was $100,000 hfojvt May 2013 #5

Yes, I'd prefer smaller payouts but many more winners. SharonAnn May 2013 #64

there were perhaps five or six who did win $100,000 hfojvt May 2013 #82

That's cause with the big prize, it's actually a good investment jeff47 May 2013 #100

except that is nonsense hfojvt May 2013 #108

Uh, yes I do. Morning Dew May 2013 #6

Oh geez... RudynJack May 2013 #7

For a few bucks you get to fantasize about being part of the 1%. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #9

Right...because any one of us winning Powerball instantly turns us into Romney-esque asshats? Roland99 May 2013 #22

why do some people get such a kick RudynJack May 2013 #89

Precisely Sherman A1 May 2013 #13

it used to be called 'the numbers racket' and the mafia ran it. now the government does. HiPointDem May 2013 #8

Yeah... Volaris May 2013 #50

Until you win. bike man May 2013 #11

I didn't deserve it, but I won it!!!!!!!!!!! LeftInTX May 2013 #12

Those pesky typos--they'll get you every time DFW May 2013 #16

Tut tut cluck cluck DainBramaged May 2013 #15

Jeez, thanks for bitterly condemning me for something I don't even have. Lemons & vinegar good night NBachers May 2013 #17

Lottery SamKnause May 2013 #18

This. nt Tree-Hugger May 2013 #137

+1 freshwest May 2013 #140

Yes. The Lottery is a tax on people that suck at math. alphafemale May 2013 #19

You need to do more math then jeff47 May 2013 #101

No. There is not. alphafemale May 2013 #103

Yes, there is. This is math, not a morality play. jeff47 May 2013 #106

nahhhh. alphafemale May 2013 #109

I get your point mick063 May 2013 #20

I think the same thing every week when someone else wins the big one... Violet_Crumble May 2013 #21

for some reason your post really made me laugh. KittyWampus May 2013 #85

Yes, I do! In_The_Wind May 2013 #23

It doesn't sound too bad now unreadierLizard May 2013 #24

people DO do that. you hear them saying teachers are making too much. ejpoeta May 2013 #115

People who say that are idiots. unreadierLizard May 2013 #120

I agree with you. Just pointing out that folks are already doing that with everyday folks. ejpoeta May 2013 #122

Gambling is about as natural among human beings . . . MrModerate May 2013 #25

I know but we still buy tickets when we can malaise May 2013 #26

If one has 4 million dollars, they are the 1% graham4anything May 2013 #27

That fixation ain't healthy. 2ndAmForComputers May 2013 #93

I agree Gravitycollapse fasttense May 2013 #28

Sourpus madokie May 2013 #29

Or a sore loser. kentauros May 2013 #124

Trying to enforce economic justice leads to massive poverty. Donald Ian Rankin May 2013 #30

Reminds me of what the little old lady said here in TX a few years back. hobbit709 May 2013 #31

Harmless fantasy for almost everyone davidthegnome May 2013 #32

Why don't we have lotteries that give away 600 $1 million prizes? reformist2 May 2013 #33

I like that idea davidthegnome May 2013 #38

True - they might not bring in as many dollars if the prizes weren't so eye-popping. reformist2 May 2013 #39

Here too. davidthegnome May 2013 #46

I agree. I'd probably buy a ticket in that case. The odds seem better CJCRANE May 2013 #42

I just addressed this downthread laundry_queen May 2013 #52

There are lots of lotteries, most with much smaller prizes Progressive dog May 2013 #53

I like that as well. n/t OneGrassRoot May 2013 #55

That would wreck about 550 families FarCenter May 2013 #67

Powerball winners in particular tend to get especially wrecked, don't they? Posteritatis May 2013 #74

19 Lottery Winners Who Blew It All FarCenter May 2013 #86

For whatever reason defacto7 May 2013 #105

It's a voluntary tax that comes with a dream. pintobean May 2013 #34

Well said, bean! Bake May 2013 #133

Well, there is a difference between the two krispos42 May 2013 #35

Would I deserve it if .... ? Autumn Colors May 2013 #36

I hope you win it! defacto7 May 2013 #110

I might not deserve it ornotna May 2013 #37

So don't participate. Earth_First May 2013 #40

Completely voluntary. YarnAddict May 2013 #41

Your ticket wasn't a winner? There you go. MineralMan May 2013 #43

You must not be the winner... ileus May 2013 #44

wait till YOU win. spanone May 2013 #45

Who deserves anything? By what metric is this determined? Orrex May 2013 #47

By what metric? By someone else's moral compass, always. DRoseDARs May 2013 #90

I don't know if it's sour grapes or not... defacto7 May 2013 #111

I don't play lotto. It has no amusement value to me. backscatter712 May 2013 #48

I am not a regular lottery ticket buyer, but will do so on occasion. It's my choice. Fla Dem May 2013 #49

I realize how interesting this is laundry_queen May 2013 #51

It's interesting how you tell this story defacto7 May 2013 #112

Another big difference between Canadian and US lotteries is the issue of taxes. kentauros May 2013 #127

Yeah, I'm not sure how that works laundry_queen May 2013 #131

It certainly doesn't make sense with regards to efficiency. kentauros May 2013 #132

They do now laundry_queen May 2013 #134

I don't know if they do that in this country or not. kentauros May 2013 #135

It's easy to despise that which is out of your reach Nimajneb Nilknarf May 2013 #54

It's gambling LittleBlue May 2013 #56

What about people who don't have a buck to gamble? Heidi May 2013 #62

Gambling isn't about fairness LittleBlue May 2013 #68

The OP is about deserving. (nt) Heidi May 2013 #70

The Giveaway Zorra May 2013 #57

What Zorra Said... Tace May 2013 #88

One of the Geissler tubes in the flux capacitor on the DeLorean wore out. Zorra May 2013 #99

100% agree. freshwest May 2013 #143

Our five tickets cost us less than two movie tickets. NaturalHigh May 2013 #58

Outlaw Las Vegas, Wall Street, and other Black Hole Casinos! bvar22 May 2013 #59

I sure as fuck do. Iggo May 2013 #60

I've seen little evidence that the concept of "deserving" is even remotely valid. Heidi May 2013 #61

In a related story, nobody deserves to be murdered, or raped, or run down by a drunk driver, or ... 11 Bravo May 2013 #63

Oh, for fucks sake. A HERETIC I AM May 2013 #65

Will Munny: "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it." FarCenter May 2013 #66

Whatever. roamer65 May 2013 #69

No state income taxes in FL. No local either. A HERETIC I AM May 2013 #71

They still pay almost 40% pct in federal income tax. roamer65 May 2013 #73

As I said, 39.6 is currently the highest bracket.... A HERETIC I AM May 2013 #75

There is one thing I would like to see changed. roamer65 May 2013 #96

You DO deserve a Dream. Lady Freedom Returns May 2013 #72

I agree. roamer65 May 2013 #76

Lotteries are a tax on people who are bad at math. The Velveteen Ocelot May 2013 #77

The lottery is like a tax on the poor. Jamaal510 May 2013 #78

I agree. Travis_0004 May 2013 #81

This thread is stupid... Aviation Pro May 2013 #79

Yeah $600m is way too much. edbermac May 2013 #80

Its voluntary wercal May 2013 #83

AWWWWWWWWWWwwwwww... You didn't win? ScreamingMeemie May 2013 #84

Well said Uzair May 2013 #87

A STRICTLY VOLUNTARY tax. But, thanks for playing. cherokeeprogressive May 2013 #92

I agree... a strictly voluntary tax where I have remote chance to become rich. roamer65 May 2013 #94

I do too because I'll buy Fox news and fire the whole fucking crew tularetom May 2013 #91

Great idea! roamer65 May 2013 #95

i would buy a mountain top fortress, every luxury i could get loli phabay May 2013 #97

Of course I do. No one deserves it more than I. MrSlayer May 2013 #98

We don't deserve it *more* than you, but... demwing May 2013 #142

Sorry, who the fuck are you again? flvegan May 2013 #104

There's nothing wrong with paying a couple of bucks for a dream.... defacto7 May 2013 #107

call me when it's a billion dollar jackpot. nt TeamPooka May 2013 #114

Then don't play the lottery, and you won't risk the fate of winning money you don't deserve Freddie Stubbs May 2013 #116

Is this your reaction from your numbers not matching. NCTraveler May 2013 #117

Well said. kentuck May 2013 #118

Oh good grief! HappyMe May 2013 #119

I think he deserves it more than many of the ultra rich who got it via Javaman May 2013 #121

So you didn't win? Sissyk May 2013 #123

As much as I think lotteries are cons, I also think I lack the ethical super-powers... LanternWaste May 2013 #125

It's a legal, speculative investment OmahaBlueDog May 2013 #126

Are you not coming back to your OP? snooper2 May 2013 #128

Unfortunately, the government wil get will more than half of it Ter May 2013 #129

I find all the comments on DU from Monday morning lottery losers interesting. liberal N proud May 2013 #130

The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math. /nt Marr May 2013 #138

Bullshit. Speak for yourself. demwing May 2013 #139

Whoever has the winning ticket does. Dreamer Tatum May 2013 #141