Class consciousness

If the people of Massachusetts stop to think about it, they'll surely understand that allowing casinos to open here is not a good idea. Other than Nevada, which is a special case, what state has ever seen a benefit from having casinos? The whole point of these businesses is to remove wealth from working people and their communities. Every dollar lost at a casino is a dollar not spent at local stores, restaurants, or other businesses; the presence of the casino means local car dealers will sell fewer cars, plumbers and electricians will see less work, home improvements and other major projects will get deferred, and the whole community will be the poorer.

From a Marxist perspective, the casino can be seen as a regressive, parasitic enterprise that takes wealth from working people and concentrates it in the hands of casino owners, who give back nothing, not even the investment that a classic capitalist provides in the means of wealth production. The casino owner is not unlike a drug dealer, but the casino owner is likely to be far richer and more influential in local politics, making him, her or it (in the case of a corporation) a danger not just to the gambler but to the integrity of the Commonwealth itself.

If you're in Massachusetts, vote Yes on question 3 this November. Let's repeal the ill-considered act of the General Court and Governor Patrick in allowing casinos to operate in our Commonwealth.

If religion is the opiate of the people...

...nationalism is their alcohol.