Being told "professional poker doesn't contribute to society."

[tarheeljks]

your point is taken busto, but the responsibility of an individual to society is a separate argument. i assume you're saying that op should just say he has no obligation to contribute, but i think he's more interested in whether poker contributes


edit: grammar

[BUSTO]

[ QUOTE ]
your point is taken busto, but the responsibility of an individual to society is a separate argument. i assume your saying that should be op should just say he has no obligation to contribute, but i think he's more interested in whether poker contributes

[/ QUOTE ]

the point isn't that he has no obligation to contribute, but that society has made it so that he's better off not contributing

[Willy]

They relieve tourists of money they would otherwise spend on booze coke and hookers.

[tarheeljks]

the point isn't that he has no obligation to contribute, but that society has made it so that he's better off not contributing

this is debatable and again i don't think it answers the original question

edit: sorry, not an intended hijack

[mtgordon]

I certainly didn't read all eleventy billion replies, but it is the same as a grand master chess player guy right? I would also argue that a some financial people don't contribute to society either. Redistributing money doesn't count.

So in other words I don't think it contributes, however neither do other jobs that people deem 'acceptable.'

[davidlong14]

...provides rest, relaxation & entertainment for the donators...

[Tien]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

There is no argument for outlawing gambling / alcohol / cigarettes because it would result in social chaos and riots.

[/ QUOTE ]

i guess you haven't heard, but gambling is illegal in most states, and there ia no social chaos or rioting related to this

[/ QUOTE ]

Try to pass a law against allowing people to go into casinos or do horse betting and see how far you get.

In fact didn't the first round of legislation failed because they tried to group horse race betting in with online gambling?

[Tien]

[ QUOTE ]
I certainly didn't read all eleventy billion replies, but it is the same as a grand master chess player guy right? I would also argue that a some financial people don't contribute to society either. Redistributing money doesn't count.

So in other words I don't think it contributes, however neither do other jobs that people deem 'acceptable.'

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree

What I argued in this thread was even though they don't contribute in the normal sense, they are still income producing jobs. And whether or not those income producing jobs don't "contribute" in terms of adding a quatifiable value to society, society is still better off having these income producing jobs than not.


Nonproductive jobs in the traditional sense make up so many job descriptions in America that it would be extremely silly to say America is better off not having them. America is better off having jobs than not having jobs, whether or not those jobs contribute or not is irrelevant.

Society would become a better place if all the unemployed people in America suddenly took up "nonproductive" / "noncontributing" jobs.

[Mitch Evans]

Professional convicts contribute to society by providing jobs to wardens, guards, contractors... you guys need to aim higher.

[ALLEN BOND]

[ QUOTE ]
Professional convicts contribute to society by providing jobs to wardens, guards, contractors... you guys need to aim higher.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]