Showing posts with label anti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anti. Show all posts
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Preemption of State Anti Gambling Laws
Preemption of State Anti Gambling Laws
I have to roll my eyes every time someone points out that the proposed OTC derivatives reforms still preempt state anti-gambling laws. This is generally presented as some sort of obviously-ridiculous exemption that proves that Dodd, or Geithner, or whoever, is in the pocket of Wall Street. First, I suspect that, if asked, the majority of people complaining about state anti-gambling laws being preempted for OTC derivatives would say that they think anti-gambling laws are anachronistic holdovers from a more paternalistic era, and should be repealed. Second, state anti-gambling laws are famously (over)broad — for instance, New York Law § 5-401 (Gen. Oblig.) provides:
All wagers, bets or stakes, made to depend upon any race, or upon any gaming by lot or chance, or upon any lot, chance, casualty, or unknown or contingent event whatever, shall be unlawful.Obviously, this could ensnare a whole host of contracts that we consider perfectly legitimate (e.g., insurance). So for this law to stay on the books, we need all sorts of exemptions and carve-outs for legitimate contracts which could nevertheless fall within § 5-401. Once weve decided at the federal level that OTC derivatives are legitimate financial instruments — and like or not, we have decided that — then preempting ridiculous state anti-gambling laws is perfectly appropriate.
The fact that the proposed OTC derivatives reforms preempt state anti-gambling laws is evidence of nothing other than that state anti-gambling laws are silly, overbroad relics.
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Saturday, March 18, 2017
Pro Anti War
Pro Anti War
“The world is starving for American leadership. But America has an anti-war president.” ~ John Boehner at Capitol Hill press conference March 26, 2015
I would hope that most folk would find that statement by our Speaker of the House very odd. He was trying to demean the president for being an “anti-war” president. Shouldn’t all presidents be anti-war? Shouldn’t all members of the government be anti-war representatives? Shouldn’t all members of the armed forces be anti-war? Shouldn’t all citizens be anti-war? If we are not I think we are in big trouble.
In fact, that is one of the most prominent problems we faced in international relationships. A lot of countries see us as a nation that goes to war all too easily. We are seen as a war mongering nations rightly or wrongly.
We certainly spent enough on war issues. In 2012, according to the War Resisiters League, we budgeted $673 for the military, then we added $166 military expenses by other parts of the government. Added to this is about $440 billion in interest on past military expenses. So, they come up with $1.3 trillion in military expense 50% of our general budget.
Recently I have heard more such statements by political figures, which causes me worry. For example, Senator Rand Paul encourages his colleagues to decrease spending (social services) but also advocates increased military spending to the tune of $190 billion in the next two years (see his amendment to the budget.) He is joined in this outlook with Senator Marco Rubio, also seeking the presidency. He also wants to increase military spending.
I would hope that most folk are anti-war.
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"As far as I am concerned, war itself is immoral." --U.S. WWII General Omar Bradley
"No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. " --James Madison
"I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind." --Thomas Jefferson
"My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth." --George Washington
"There never was a good war or a bad peace." --Benjamin Franklin
"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." --Dwight D. Eisenhower
"War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it." --Martin Luther
"Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary." --The Mahatma Gandhi
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