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asdaaaaaaaa t1_jdx9dvn wrote

Reply to comment by kikistiel in Woman framed in ‘rape fantasy’ plot speaks out after conviction of ex-U.S. Marshal by drkgodess

People get nasty over money/investments. I had a friend in jail for 12 months, he was doing a in-jail rehab program. You know which addiction was the hardest to kick there, and the one they generally had the least success in? Dealing/money, not even a drug. Apparently they got more than twice the amount of people successfully rehabbed (Well, not returning to jail) on drugs compared to dealers.

I don't know, the worst stuff I've witnessed has always been over money. It grabs certain people for whatever reason, more so than many other things.

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Dolly_gale t1_jdxodzw wrote

I used to live in an area famous for its legal casinos. The stories about gambling addictions are heart-breaking. It's a joke on the relationship advice subreddit that commenters quickly suggest "you should break up." But after hearing about how half a married couple can unilaterally damage both spouses' finances, I'd quickly suggest "legal divorce" if one spouse has a gambling addiction.

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B0rf_ t1_jdy34bh wrote

I sometimes (like once or twice a month) go to the local Hard Rock (only casino around here that's not some shitty, little room) and I'll always see the same people at the same slot machines mindlessly pressing the button. It's depressing seeing them blow $1000+ then go and get another withdrawal from the ATM

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FtheMustard t1_jdzwcnn wrote

The lady that used to clean my mom's house was also a blackjack dealer in a Pennsylvania casino (Parx). She told me that she would do an 8 hr shift, go home for the night, come back the next day and do another 8 hr shift with the same people at the table. She said the casino's profits were almost entirely driven by addicted gamblers.

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B0rf_ t1_je01ubx wrote

Yeah it makes me pretty sad. I also worked at a liquor store and people blew money there too like no tomorrow. Like we had a dude who would hit whippits and had jaundice but felt the need to buy cheese serving boards (like the fake granite ones without actual cheese) and booze instead of food. He pulled out a wad of ones and had like 10 whippits fall out one time. Said it was his last few bucks so I refused to sell him anything and told him I would check him out if he got food.

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shampoo_mohawk_ t1_je0769w wrote

Why the cheese boards though?

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B0rf_ t1_je085n9 wrote

Because he was high as fuck and thought it would be better to spend his money on that and booze instead of food.

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shampoo_mohawk_ t1_je0a1w7 wrote

Oh, I wondered if maybe there was some strange use for an empty cheese board that I had never heard of. This is much sadder than that.

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bluemitersaw t1_je052li wrote

I've been to Vegas twice in my life and one moment on the casino for stood out.

My wife and I were just doing some slots for a bit and a lady behind us (who seemed like a regular) hit a jackpot. Lights and sirens were going off and a floor worker had to come over and do something to finalize it. The whole time she just sat there, hardly any reaction. The worker congratulated her and moved on. Then without skipping a beat she just went back to playing the slot machine like nothing happened.

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whilst t1_jdyji7e wrote

Money isn't money, it's permission to live in a different social class, which is extremely exclusive and pushes down hard on everyone around them to keep them out. Life's better, you have access to more resources, the people around you help you more, you're safer and more comfortable.

People who were born into it, or who were born with the resources, drive, and good advice to luck into it, feel like that life is just how the world works. Imagine being permanently outside the palace gates and desperate, but there's one thing you can do that lets you in.

How willing would you be to give up the only thing that gave you the life the people around you just lucked into? How willing would you be to give up dealing if it meant giving up having a nice home and physical and mental safety?

Rather than treating doing desperate things to make money as an addiction, we should be treating the problem of desperation. But we as a society are mostly unwilling to do that.

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shampoo_mohawk_ t1_je08ndx wrote

I feel this so deep in my soul. The money-hoarding dragons protecting their piles of treasure that could buy healthcare, housing, social services, environmental protection, etc for everyone else are ruining everything.

After a person makes $100 million that should be the end of it. Like ok, you get some kind of award or trophy announcing you’ve won at life. Any wealth you’ve “made” over $100 million needs to go back to making the world better for everyone else. (I say “made” because one single person cannot make that much money alone. They obviously exploited the work or comfort of other humans in one way or another to get where they are.)

TAX THE ULTRA-WEALTHY NOW.

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Fabulous-Ad6844 t1_jdztnl5 wrote

Totally agree. In a society with good safety nets there is less desperation, more happiness, less crime, less hostility.

I noticed this when I moved from Australia to the US. I feel the boot on my neck in the US.

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isadog420 t1_jdz1pgt wrote

Very insightful. We’re either going to sink or swim together. Time for selfish people to gain foresight.

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juddsdoit t1_je3uoxv wrote

I thought what you wrote was very insightful. But I do think that gambling addiction like any addiction is more about numbing out at some point than money. But I also am not an expert.

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oldjack t1_jdy9f0v wrote

Ehhh I'm not willing to stretch the meaning of "addiction" that far. People that do crimes to make money are not "addicted" to money. The husband and wife in this story aren't money addicts, they're just selfish/greedy/shitty people that are willing to hurt others in order to benefit themselves.

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Yoloswaggit420 t1_jdywhr2 wrote

Facts ain't no drug dealers out here sucking dick for a dollar I can tell you that

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tokes_4_DE t1_je16hqc wrote

Well why would they suck dick for a dollar if they can sell drugs for much more instead? If youre "addicted" to money youre not taking the route thats the least profitable.....

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terminalzero t1_je0p0kr wrote

> Apparently they got more than twice the amount of people successfully rehabbed (Well, not returning to jail) on drugs compared to dealers.

it doesn't help that it's really fucking hard to get hired as a convict and dealers are leaving prison with a skillset they know they can make money with

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