A Question of Freedom

Wayne Allyn Root, or W.A.R. as he's known to millions of US TV and radio admirers was a dyed-in-the-wool Republican for many years until the US Federal ban on online gambling got his goat. Root was a long-term supporter of the Republican ethos of smaller government and less meddling in the lives of ordinary Americans.

However, the GOP's move to ban online gambling made no sense to him, and he left the party to become a leader of the American Libertarian movement. Root believes that the Republican fixation with the anti-gambling bill actually lost them the last US election. In fact, Root admits that he puts himself squarely behind long-time political opponent Barney Frank is his support of lifting the online gambling ban.

Limiting Freedom
The online gambling website Gambling 911 recently carried an article by Root where he outlines his reasons for leaving the Republican Party. He believed that while he supported the party's philosophy of market capitalism and fiscal freedom, he saw no sense in his former party's obsession with banning online gambling.

His main beef lay in the GOP's apparent desire to limit the freedom of the individual. If Americans want to gamble 100 dollars in the privacy of their own bedroom, then what business is it of the US government?

Risk - It's as American as Apple Pie
Root sees risk as the lifeblood of American corporate life. Citing the early US pioneers as the first great American risk-takers he forms an unbroken chain from the early American entrepreneurs to the founders of corporate America. Without risk taking, America would not have its place as the world's greatest economic power.

It's Not About Morality, Stupid!
In spite of its calamitous defeat at the polls, the Republicans persist in supporting the online gambling ban. In their defense, they claim they're upholding the morality of the state.

However, this logic fails because sports gambling is still legal as are land-based casinos.

In addition, gambling addiction pales into insignificance compared to the damage caused by alcohol abuse and even obesity. Root points out that there are pretty few Republicans calling for a ban on alcohol or MacDonalds. With a potential tax income of around 50 billion dollars, Root sees no logic whatsoever in the Republican Party's stance on the online gambling ban. Indeed, he believes the current ban will only push the practice underground into the hands of organized crime who are delighted with the current ban.