On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:34:30 -0700, Black Knight wrote:
> Can anyone even think of another job that has absolutely zero
> benefit to society?
Your question presupposes that the primary purpose of the individual is
to benefit society, which is the core premise of fascism. The core
premise of democracy is that society's primary purpose is to benefit the
individual, which is or at least should be obvious if you read the US
Constitution and Bill of Rights. Your question is nonsensical in the
context of a democratic society. The purpose of the apple tree is to
produce apples, while the purpose of the apple is not to benefit the tree
upon which it grows.
That all said: In terms of benefit to society, there is no discernible
difference between a poker player and any other professional whose income
is primarily in the form of capital gains. This would include investors
of every stripe (stocks, bonds, commodities, real estate, insurance,
consumer credit, and so on).
On second thought, there is one discernible difference. The common poker
player would try to chase you away from the table if he knew you were
wanting to play with your family's grocery money, while the commodities
speculators take a cut from every meal (and every barrel of crude oil,
too, for that matter).
I'm still trying to think of even one job that has absolutely zero
benefit to society. Hmmm... professional cor****ate downsizer, e.g.
"Chainsaw" Al Dunlap.
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