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Monopoly Morality

30 Jul

Is it ethical to pocket money from a bank error in your favor?

Is it ethical to take advantage of affirmative action if you are opposed to it?

Is it ethical to file for tax credit incentives for home improvement projects when you don’t think the government should be raising taxes on everyone to give the money to those who can afford solar panels?

Is it ethical to win money from recreational gambling when that money comes from those addicted to gambling?

While it was always fun to get this card from Community Chest, the ethical questions are real.

Or do I just have an overactive conscience?

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  • Ben

    Bank error – unethical. While I certainly can’t criticize an opposing viewpoint on this one, it’s still taking money that isn’t rightfully due to you.

    Affirmative action – unethical regardless of your viewpoint. This is a program that in my humble opinion encourages or even requires one to discriminate based on race.

    Tax credits – Ethical. Totally. The simple fact of the matter is that taxes are too high and mostly get misspent anyway, so if you do something to qualify for a credit, you are entitled to the credit. Nothing wrong with getting back some of your hard-earned money and taxes will be raised regardless to cover more of Uncle Sam’s shopping addiction.

    Gambling – Ethical. Gambling is a game of chance which normal, mentally stable people can do for recreation every now and again without issue. If some people can’t do this then they need to stay out of the casino. I know there are psychological underpinnings and everyone loves the thrill of winning, but about the time you’ve blown your mortgage money on the roulette wheel, it should have occurred to you that perhaps your losing streak isn’t about to end and perhaps you should find another hobby. I rank gambling addiction with sex addiction. Both are a lot of fun, but really really liking them doesn’t make me feel bad for you – it makes me feel like you lack self-control, For this reason, the $60/year I spend/win with in the casino doesn’t strike me as unethically gained.

    That’s my 2 cents anyway.

  • bank error – in most cases the money didn’t come from a “community chest” but another bank client who will be missing the money and come after it. so there is a victim, the person whose money it actually is. However, since the invention of interest banks have been raking in money, generating it, pushing numbers and beans around all into their favor. So when some newbie teller puts the beans into the wrong account, lord knows they can cover it tenfold if they have to, but they wont. Because they have made it their business to collect one bean from every single one of their 10,000,000 customers, and they have also made it their business to not miss a single one, especially if was supposed to go into their pocket.
    I say ethical, the banks should shoulder the loss, when I make banking mistakes, I have to pay for it. They should too.

    • You have a victim mentality about something I’m doubtful ever happened. I used to work at a bank, and the bank has to shoulder the loss when a teller makes a mistake.

      You’ve seen a pattern of your deposits going into someone else’s account, and the bank has never made it right? That’s actionable.