Lotteries

[Unicorn]

Would it be a appropriate to have a state lottery in a socialist country?

[Crest]

State Lottery is a bourgeois program, by bourgeois, for bourgeois, to get bourgeois more of the money that makes them bourgeois.

[black magick hustla]

oh my gawd

what the hell with these threads

[AGITprop]

State Lottery is a bourgeois program, by bourgeois, for bourgeois, to get bourgeois more of the money that makes them bourgeois.

This is hardly an appropriate answer.

To answer this, let us look at what is the nature of the lottery. First of it is used for a profit, by selling large amounts of tickets to a group of people, then producing a few winners and redistributing large sums of money to the few who had the 'luck' of winning. Now, this would create a surplus in wealth on their part. What do we use extra money for? For purchasing more goods. Why need more purchasing power, if you have access already to almost everything you could want in an abundance economy?

[Os Cangaceiros]

for bourgeois

Hardly.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

I don't see the benefits in continuing the poor man's tax.

[Kropotkin Has a Posse]

The purpose of lotteries is to give those with no chance of bettering themselves under capitalism the illusion of hope. It's really a class based idea.

[chimx]

Before taxation was that popular in the US lotteries were used for all sorts of public works projects, raising armies, building roads, etc. They eventually became kind of corrupt and were banned all through the US at the turn of the 20th century. They have only become legalized again since the baby-boomer generation.

I have no theoretical qualms with them, especially if people had a greater say in how the profits from state lotteries were used. In a sense they are a kind of voluntary taxation.

[Unicorn]

To answer this, let us look at what is the nature of the lottery. First of it is used for a profit, by selling large amounts of tickets to a group of people, then producing a few winners and redistributing large sums of money to the few who had the 'luck' of winning. Now, this would create a surplus in wealth on their part. What do we use extra money for? For purchasing more goods. Why need more purchasing power, if you have access already to almost everything you could want in an abundance economy?
Communism is abundant, socialism is not. In a socialist society most workers do wish that they had higher wages and could raise their living standard. Workers would prefer to drive with a Volga instead of a Lada.

I don't see a problem if they have a possibility to buy a lottery ticket. Lotteries give thrill and enjoyment to people who choose to participate in them.

[MarxSchmarx]

Would it be a appropriate to have a state lottery in a socialist country?

No.

Lotteries work because the state can collect interest and take its sweet time paying the winner. Under socialism, there would be no need for interest. Hence a lottery cannot work.

End of story.

[ckaihatsu]

I have no theoretical qualms with them, especially if people had a greater say in how the profits from state lotteries were used. In a sense they are a kind of voluntary taxation. (chimx)



[L]et us look at what is the nature of the lottery. First of it is used for a profit, by selling large amounts of tickets to a group of people, then producing a few winners and redistributing large sums of money to the few who had the 'luck' of winning. Now, this would create a surplus in wealth on their part. What do we use extra money for? For purchasing more goods. Why need more purchasing power, if you have access already to almost everything you could want in an abundance economy? (Gunther Glick)


I think we have to consider the theory versus the practice here -- in theory (function) the lottery could be described as a form of voluntary taxation, or even (shudder) as "entertainment" -- in practice (class reality) we have to look at how it operates.

Under capitalism it is a victimization of the poor, penalizing them for their lack of education in math, specifically probabilities. The thought of investing in lottery tickets has never crossed through the mind of a banker or serious capitalist.

If a country -- and hopefully several countries together in a region -- is truly going through a period of worker-led upsurges, in a process of nationalizations of major industries, generalizing to centralized planning, then the *nature* of a lottery just wouldn't fit.

The trajectory would be towards collective action, with the rewards going back to the working class -- there is nothing in this kind of culture that is random, or chance-based.

Lotteries really fit into the mindfuck culture of capitalism where workers are conditioned to view their futures as a roll of the dice "in the market" or "in life" -- anything to remove them from realizing their collective labor power...! (And since when do regular people have a "greater say" in how the revenue from state lotteries is used...?!)


Chris




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[Jazzratt]

No, it wouldn't. Attempting to create equality while at the same time creating huge wealth gaps among the lucky few is just counter intuitive.

[Unicorn]

No, it wouldn't. Attempting to create equality while at the same time creating huge wealth gaps among the lucky few is just counter intuitive.
The awards don't need to be huge. In a Western European country the largest prize could be 10 000 euros, for example. (~30% of the yearly income of an average worker)

[quevivafidel]

Uh...no.

And isn't it sick that somebody can make millions of dollars by just buying a ticket while workers work a 10-hour shift just to make ends meet?

[piet11111]

only if the price is a month long celebration for the entire city where nobody has to work for that month.

ofcourse that city would be blocked from participating in other lottery's untill all city's had their party.