That draw witness thread was the result of a splinter that turned into a tree.
Nobody much questions the processes involved in the most money-making industry in the US.
With a few rare exceptions, players only know when the alleged draws are held. They tacitly and silently plunk down their money to nameless, faceless strangers into a composit pool. The cumulative pool of those dollars, over time, is unimaginable.
However, they do so, we all so so,
basing our ticket purchases on a promise that the proceeds will go to a good cause, and that there's an infinitisimol chance we'll win some of our money back.
- We actually are choosing to trust total strangers not to know in advance what the numbers will be.
- We are choosing to trust people we know little about to keep the tiny percentage of the money river that goes to winners in the 'possibles' segment of the population. Not cousins. Not college buddies who are down on their luck.
Who are we trusting with this fountain of wealth?
We are trusting the same people who have no pangs of conscience in posting billboards misrepresenting the size of the existing money pool.
We are trusting the same people who broadcast pictures of lumpsum winners holding giant checks made out for an amount that bears no similarity to the amount the actual checks they'll recieve.
In short, we are putting unfathomable power and wealth in the hands of sleight of hand artists who play a shell game in deceptive marketing.
I've got my tickets for tonight. How about you?
It's been a long time since anyone accused Americans of being smart.
Jack