US Cuts Deals To Keep EU, Canada And Japan From Siding With Antigua In Online Gambling Dispute
from the so-much-for-that-plan dept
For quite some time now, we've covered the ongoing dispute between the US and Antigua over the fact that the US's ban on online gambling violates free trade agreements between the two countries. While the US has tried to unilaterally change those agreement to keep gambling out, the WTO has repeatedly made it clear that the US was at fault (even though the US has pretended otherwise). Either way, the US knew that it could simply ignore Antigua, as the tiny country couldn't do much to hurt it (even if it moved forward on its plan to become a piracy haven for digital content. However, earlier this year, there were rumblings that the EU would get involved on Antigua's side, putting a lot more pressure on the US. However, it appears that US politicians and diplomats made quick work of that signing new agreements with the EU, Canada and Japan to keep those three out of the way, leaving the dispute between the US and Antigua, with much less powerful countries like Costa Rica and Macau backing Antigua's position. Not surprisingly, online gambling firms in the EU aren't pleased that the powers that be in the EU rolled over like this -- and neither are folks in the US who still don't understand why it's okay for them to buy a lottery ticket, but they can't play a little poker online.
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Filed Under: antigua, canada, eu, japan, online gambling, wto
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Aren't these side agreements themselves illegal?
These actions by the U.S. only feed into the paranoid conspiracy theories that the U.N. and all supra-national agencies are there only to enforce the "One World Government" view, and do nothing for the people living in those individual countries.
So what if the EU, Japan, and Canada agree with the U.S.? Is the U.S.'s position fundamentally correct? Is it consistent with the decisions of a "fair and balanced" trade body? How anyone can see the actions of the U.S., in this and many other contexts, as honest and fair is beyond me.
The various governments of the world must be living in a rich-country version of Steve Jobs' "Reality Distortion Field." It's time to come back to reality. The truth matters. Just because you are rich and powerful does not mean that you can lie your way out of any agreement you sign. If you don't like the rules, don't participate, and don't whine when some little podunk country like Macau breaks the rules.
I am not an advocate for free internet gambling. I really have no position on that one way or the other. I get pissed when I see a story where some U.S. diplomat criticizes someone else for "not living up to international obligations". Now there's the pot calling the kettle black.
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it gets better
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does this count??
Isnt that close enough?
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Significance of amending agreements
If the EU, Japan and Canada have signed amending agreements to exclude online gambling that does not mean they agreed with the US position - in fact the need for amending agreements is a strong indication that those countries (and the US itself) are of the view that the underlying agreements prohibit the restrictions on online gambling.
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Re: Aren't these side agreements themselves illega
Id say no. The US must stop acting as bully/temper tan-trum/dictator. Step up to the rules that you enforce on everyone else.
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Decision Surprised Me
Now that the U.S. has found a way around the WTO ruling (as the smaller nations won't matter to the U.S.) I have decided that legal online gambling will never pass legislation. The Horse Racing Industry definitely had a hand in all of this and payoff's were made.
But there is good news. I will never have to pay taxes on my winnings from the poker tournaments when I make it to the money table.
Online gambling will only get stronger.
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Re: does this count??
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if you are tired of the US being a Bully, perhaps Canada should stop using US infrastructure and build your OWN transcontinental highway and stop using OURS. You also might consider contributing to your OWN defense and stop calling the US a Bully for trying to hang onto the tax revenues generated by gambling.
Tax money that so comfortably removes the burden of defense, immigration hassles, and basic infrastructure development from the ever so kind and genial Canadians !
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if you are tired of the US being a Bully, perhaps Canada should stop using US infrastructure and build your OWN transcontinental highway and stop using OURS. You also might consider contributing to your OWN defense and stop calling the US a Bully for trying to hang onto the tax revenues generated by gambling.
Tax money that so comfortably removes the burden of defense, immigration hassles, and basic infrastructure development from the ever so kind and genial Canadians !
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Bully??
Canada HAS it's own infrastructure, we HAVE our own military (we just value peacekeeping over INVASION).
We HAVE our own highways and free health-care. We also HAVE online gambling.
Canada may not be perfect but the States is in no position to claim perfection either.
How about we focus on the story at hand and stop with all this patriotic country-bashing BS.
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