Enlighten Me

IMO, he's a hypocrite. AND he's a poor steward of his family's money, AND he's a poor role model, AND he has deprived his family of his presence by devoting an excessive amount of time to his addiction, AND he is stupid to think that his gambling habit would not be exposed, AND he will write a book about overcoming his addiction, AND he will profit greatly from it.....

Roland

The whole crux of Bennett's moral argument is that modern society is going to hell in a hand basket because we do nothing but gratify our own fleshly desires. He argues that, as adults, we are not setting a good moral example for our children. He is quick to point the finger at everyone else's vices, but he refrains from pointing out his own. He throws hundreds of thousands of dollars away in single nights at casinos. What kind of example of restraint is that for our children?

So you can deny his hypocrisy all you want, but his excessive gambling IS a violation of his own premise even if you can't see it.

Jon Curry

Well, if that is his argument, it doesn't follow from this that we should not satisfy any of our fleshly desires. Bennet is Roman Catholic. No mainstream Roman Catholic or mainstream Protestant thinks it is wrong to satisfy any fleshly desire. They all think we should enjoy life. Pleasure is not the greatest good, but this doesn't make pleasure bad. This is simply the gross caricature that lefty's and some atheists have of conservatives and Christians.

Again, it seems I'm repeating myself, but you continue to ignore the point. He didn't think gambling was wrong. Even the RC Church doesn't think gambling is wrong necessarily

I agree that it isn't a good example. But reasonable people, even many you would call moralizers, etc, disagree about gambling. Some think it's wrong. Others think it isn't. Anybody can feel free to try and persuade Bennet that gambling is wrong. And maybe he will become convinced and stop gambling altogether. But while he was gambling he was convinced that he wasn't doing anything wrong. He never went on TV and said that gambling was wrong. None of his arguments on other issues logically require that gambling is wrong. He's done nothing hypocritical.

His gambling is a violation of your caricature of his premise. But he does not think it is wrong to satisfy any fleshly desires.

ExTheist

http//www.thestranger.com

Grad Student Humanist

Here is the proof that Bennett is indeed a hypocrite:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/908430.asp...B20&cp1=1#BODY

From the article: "Bennett and his organization, Empower America, oppose the extension of casino gambling in the states. In a recent editorial, his Empower America cochair, Jack Kemp, inveighed against lawmakers who “pollute our society with a slot machine on every corner.”

So it's ok for Bennett and other rich people to gamble all they want, but they oppose it for the rest of us. And he dares insult the character of the politicians who support legalized gambling while he's plunging his brains out to the tune of $8 million in losses. Hypocrite!

AND, why don't you go and ask the Roman Catholic Church if a man who drops $8 million is a setting a good moral example?

Jon Curry

This doesn't prove that Empower America opposes the extension of gambling. It sounds like Jack Kemp would oppose. Bill Bennet is not Jack Kemp. In fact, your article specifically says that Bennet doesn't speak out against gambling:

How can you say things like what you have here?

You quote Jack Kemp, act like they are the words of Bill Bennet in spite of the fact that your article specifically says that Bennet doesn't speak out against gambling, and then you call him a hypocrite. He did not insult the character of certain politicians. Jack Kemp did. What's the matter with you?

Grad Student Humanist

Empower America is Bennett's organization and as the article clearly states, his organization opposes legalized gambling. That makes him a hypocrite whether you want to accept it or not. I don't care. I'm just glad he's knocked himself off of his own high horse.

christ-on-a-stick

Jon Curry - what part of Empower America being *HIS* organization and *HIS* organization opposing the extension of gambling do you not understand?

Jon Curry

The proof that Empower America opposes the extension of gambling is that Jack Kemp spoke out against it. This doesn't prove that Empower America itself opposes the extension of gambling. Maybe it does, but this doesn't prove it. And I think the more important point is that Bennet himself never said gambling was wrong and never spoke out against it. Bennet isn't the King of Empower America, so even if the organization he is a part of opposed gambling, this wouldn't prove that he does as well. The fact is, he doesn't oppose gambling. Hence he is not a hypocrite.

hezekiah jones

For christ's sakes he's made a goddamn career out of being sanctimonious and holier-than-thou.