Government and Congress blatantly interfere in citizen freedom

Prohibiting the use of resources intended for needy families in gambling is already a dangerous step. Now, preventing retirees from placing bets with their retirement money is an attack on freedom of choice, an intrusion into the citizen’s private life.

Retirement is the result of years of contribution, not a gift from the State and, therefore, this interference violates the right to undertake, to dream. Gambling is, in most cases, an addiction, but it is not up to the State to say what an addiction is, except in the case of illicit drugs.

By interfering in what retirees should do with their money, as the Government intends, it is further limiting the autonomy of citizens, their self-determination, their right to choose how they should manage resources which, as we have already said, is not a free subsidy from a clearly extractive government – to put it better, allocates fabulous resources to fight poverty, but uses this army of disadvantaged people to stay in power.

It is a new way of creating electoral corrals at the expense of taxpayers, while perpetuating poverty and inequality.

The accusation that gambling is generating billions of reais for Brazilians, especially the poorest, is whose fault? A strange legislation, sanctioned in January of this year by President Lula, with the veneer of “providing legal certainty and establishing criteria in fiscal matters.”

That is to say, a government that thought about collecting more to spend badly, opened the doors to hundreds of virtual casinos. He did what he did. Now blame the poor people who spend what little they have on games.

A mea-culpa would do the government good, without taking away from the poor what they still have and that keeps them alive and calm: the ability to dream.

At most, the government should run a campaign showing the possibilities of winning and losing in games and that it is best to go to the supermarket… Without interfering in the freedom of citizens.