Politics & Gambling

While it may be said that politics and gambling are a crazy mix in fact there are many similarities between the two undertakings.

Both undertakings primarily are about understanding; assessing and controlling risk with the main difference between the two being the types and levels of risk.

In politics the risks are many and varied across the total spectrum (social, environmental and economic) of government whilst the risk in gambling is mainly economic but the main process for controlling risk in each undertaking is exactly the same.

Politicians need to understand what the risks are in any given situation, be able to assess the level of risk in that situation and take actions that allow a maximum level of control of the risk in that situation. Gamblers need to do the same for any given type of gambling they may undertake.

Professional gamblers can and do make a living gambling but only because they are able to control the level of risk to where it is at an acceptable level where they can actually make money.

Professional politicians (particularly those that have a long career in politics) do the same. They make a living and survive in politics because they are able to judge, assess and control the risks from their actions and statements.

The main difference is that politicians do so under the public scrutiny of the electorate whilst mainly gamblers are only answerable to themselves.

Politicians under the public scrutiny of the electorate need; not only to be seen to be following the rules of the game (and therefore they need a good understanding of the rules both parliamentary and legislative), but they also need to be seen to be in the game (i.e. putting their policies out in front of the electorate for public scrutiny and support).

I, as an eligible voter in the electorate, want to see what policies the opposition parties are proposing so that I can do the same, i.e. identify any risks from those policies, assess that risk and decide if I want to follow that policy and therefore give them my vote in support.

What I don’t want is to have the opposition parties spend the time between now and the general election next year telling me what mess the current government has made, I can see for myself what they have done. What I want from the opposition is to see the policies that they are putting forward that will control the risks to the country.

So far there has been very little of note to be put in front of the electorate from the main opposition party.

The opposition needs to realise that just like the gambler if you don’t place your bet you definitely won’t win as you don’t have a participant’s chance. Politics is the same if you don’t advertise your policies then you are not seen as being a participant in the game and advertising your policies prior to elections is the politician’s equivalent of placing a bet or being in the game.

The opposition should know that if you sit on the fence long enough you only end up with splinters!

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