These two events are connected by a common factor, if you think hard enough about them. The first exudes explosive euphoria and the other expresses abyssal sadness. Yet, they can be reconciled and in the process to open minds to possibilities that certain Americans doggedly cannot fathom hitherto.
I may seem to sound harsh or hard-hitting, but the pig-headed intransigence of the gun lobbyists requires sledge hammers to crack some sense into them.
The depth of the troubles I am prepared to undergo to wield the heavy sledge hammers show I sincerely wish all Americans well.
I have dreams of instant wealth and wherever I had worked and lived, I had the occasional indulgence in the local lotteries. Great Britain, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and, of course, Malaysia.
In all these countries, I am aware tax is paid on the bet and therefore the prize money, in this case all of the US$ 1.6 bn, would be totally tax free on instant payout. No need to stretch the payout over 20 years to mitigate the tax liability or take a heavily discounted instant sum.
A lottery bet is treated like a consumer spending taxed at the point of spending and the prize a tax-free windfall.
If the US needs to be so sticky to the principles of tax laws, then why don't you tax casino winnings on poker, black jack, roulette, baccarat, etc, and provide tax reliefs to the losers. The administration and paperwork would be hellish.
This mental blind spot (ossified blockage?) in taxing lottery winnings in the US appears to have a parallel in the inveterate gun-totting mentality of Americans.
When you limit the gun numbers, the dangerous fringe in the population of those not entitled to own guns and who do so can be more easily detected.
Efficacious current technologies in securing and protecting homes and that almost everyone owns a smart phone (down to 6 year olds) debunk the advocacy of those that guns are needed for protection.
A friend of mine in Malaysia was robbed recently. While the robbers ransacked the downstairs of his house, his son woke up in a room upstairs and called the police with his smart phone. The police arrived within minutes and shot dead two robbers who fought back.
When less guns are in circulation, the police can do their jobs more efficiently, confidently and safely for all concerned.
In modern living today unlike the wild west of old, no guns do not at all translate into no protection. You have, in reality, more protection and safety when the civilians have no guns as proven in many countries.
Piers Morgan, you tried your best
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