June 19, 2007

The problem with democracy: not just the voters but the legislators too...

Proof, if it were needed, that stupidity knows no borders, comes from Radley Balko's testimony before the House Financial Services Committee hearing asking the question: Can Internet Gambling Be Effectively Regulated to Protect Consumers and the Payments System? (to which the answer, my friends, is an obvious, head-slapping "Yes, you fools, yes!")

Congressman Spencer Bacchus reveals that he is, in fact, as big a numpty* as anyone who sits at the Scottish Parliament or the Jimmy's Scottish Labour has traditionally sent to act as lobby fodder at Westminster. The good people of Alabama's Sixth District should be embarrassed that they've sent him to Washington.

Mr. Bachus: Mr. Balko, in your testimony, you sort of—you talked about one of the brands you singled out for praise was FullTilt Poker?

Mr. Balko: Well, that was one of the—it's one of the more reputable poker...

Mr. Bachus:  One of the more reputable firms.  Have you looked at their website?

Mr. Balko:  Yes, I have.

Mr. Bachus: Did you read—you now, they have the biographies of some of the players, and you've seen those haven't you?

Mr. Balko: I'm familiar with several of the biographies of the top poker players, yes.

Mr. Bachus: Are you familiar with Ross Boatman's biography on their website?

Mr. Balko: No, I'm not.

Mr. Bachus: Let me tell you about him. [Reading from bio.] Ross was 10 years old when he played poker for the first time. His brother Barney, who is a little older than Ross, was playing with some friends, and after much pleading, they let him sit in.

His gambling career really didn't get started until a couple of years later, though, when he was 12 years old. Ross was too young and didn't have the money to play with those guys—I guess they're talking about his 14-year-old brother—but they let him sit and watch, and he learned plenty.

[Bachus, now looking at me.]  I guess the verification system didn't work.

Mr. Balko [flummoxed]: I believe that all took place well before the age of Internet gambling, Congressman.

Mr. Bachus: Okay.  Was it?  I wonder why it's still on the site today.

(A webcast of the hearing can be found here. Stuff in square brackets above is not part of the official transcript.)

*Traditional Scots word for a fool or especially stupid windbag.

19 Jun 2007 16:28:48 | Congress, Ignorance, Lunacy, O Tempora, O Mores, Politics (US), Washington

1 Comment

Verifile China is the sole UK agent authorised by the verification authority under the Ministry of Education in China to verify the authenticity of Chinese education qualifications.

Posted by: | April 12, 2009 at 06:02 AM

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