Suppose you lived in a place with an unusually high population of compulsive gamblers, the type who will keep gambling until they are poor. And suppose you had the resources to open a casino. Would it be ethical to do so?

All the gamblers have a choice of resisting, assuming you subscribe to the superstition of free will. So you’re not hurting anyone by making it easier for them to go broke. You’re giving them new choices. And some of them might even win big jackpots.

This seems analogous to attending a concert for a struggling musician. The musician knows he will probably end up poor. He’s making his choice, and his addiction to the musician lifestyle is similar to a gambler’s addiction to gambling. By attending the live performance, you feed the musician's habit and make it less likely he will get a higher paying job as an insurance actuary.

You bastard.

Hey, it’s a holiday weekend, and I am not working too hard on these posts.