WhatFinger


The recent sharp move in currency valuations may just be the first shot fired in a larger scale war

Wine, Women, and Gambling



Admittedly, being rather unencumbered by any profound knowledge of the vices, I’m unsure as to what to make of the news: The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reports “James Packer among billionaires hit by $100 billion Macau casino losses.”
Unfortunately, none of my friends or acquaintances is in that league. Therefore my question: is that good or bad and, if yes, for whom or what? Perhaps some historical scriptures will provide guidance on the vices?

Wine

Even the Bible tells us that at the Marriage at Cana Jesus is claimed to have turned water into wine. So, suffice it to say wine can’t be all bad. Even sherry -- when taken in moderation -- may qualify for that. At the very least, it can safely be concluded that wine is not a bad thing per se, at least for non-Muslims. Depending on the latitude you are living at, grapes may not grow there and no locally produced wine would be available. That’s why the monks from Munich [in German: München, meaning “By the Monks”] had the foresight to start brewing the ancient “met” (beer) in a grand style. Just to make sure that the brew passed muster with the authority of the day, the Pope, they shipped a casket across the Alps to the Vatican, some 1200 years ago. The “Double-Bock” (an especially dark and rich beer) brewed for consumption during lent eventually arrived there, probably minus the alcohol. Needless to state, it was approved without hesitation or condition. If you need more proof of beer’s (or wine’s) benefit, just visit a beer tent at the next Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. End of story.

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Women

To get an angle on that question, one needs to consult a variety of historic and more recent documents. For example, the Islamic Quran scriptures put women in a supporting status to men. To make sure they know their place, under Islam women are also required to wear various kinds of head-to toe coverings of dark color. Those scriptures also are said to state "Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight. [Noble Quran 43:70].” At the very least that means that polygamy is an accepted tradition under Islam though, perhaps, not encouraged. In contrast, most other societies don’t like that idea and have laws forbidding it. Nevertheless, it appears to be practiced in some distant rural parts of the continent.

Gambling

The Sydney Morning Herald further states that “Gaming revenue in Macau, the only region in China where its citizens can legally gamble, fell 2.6 per cent in 2014 to 351.5 billion patacas ($54.4 billion). It was the first fall in revenue in 11 years, since 2002, when the casino market was reformed and opened up to competition.” Reputedly, Mr. Parker’s $100,000 million loss still leaves him with a fortune of similar proportions. As he is thought to have a fortune of twice that size he simply can write the loss off as a gamble gone sour. There is no need to start a crowdfunding project for his survival; he can just go on to other venues that are more profitable. Gambling seems to be a big business, not just in Macau. Even such formerly staunch traditional jurisdictions like the Province of Ontario have legalized it and need the cash it provides. What was unthinkable a few decades ago has since become a commonplace system, legalized gambling with government support and plenty of revenue for its coffers. For a while, Ontario had out-manoeuvered the adjoining jurisdictions of U.S. States and was drawing in their residents to near-border casinos. However, the ride did not last all that long. When new casinos sprang up in these States revenues declined accordingly in Ontario. To counter that declining revenue at least one member of the parliament just proposed to hand out free alcoholic drinks to the clientele. I thought my ship had finally arrived but then the proposal was nixed in short order. C’est la vie! Now we learn that there is more blood on the gambling streets. The owner of Caesars Palace in Nevada just invoked Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Just another boondoggle! What’s going to go under next? Is there any hope in sight?

Is there Hope?

Hope is eternal, but the question, obviously, will be: when is it going to get better? I surmise the answer is: not any time soon. In fact, it might get much worse before it gets better. The recent sharp move in currency valuations may just be the first shot fired in a larger scale war.


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Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser -- Bio and Archives

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser is author of CONVENIENT MYTHS, the green revolution – perceptions, politics, and facts Convenient Myths


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