No Distractions Necessary
Highly restrictive countries are obviously going to block online casino gambling
that is just a given. Less obvious though are the new restrictions on laptop
computers as a whole for politicians in Bhutan. Laptops and portable computer
devices are gaining prominence all over the world because individuals can carry
massive amounts of information, without large stacks of computer printouts. But
laptops can also mean distractions for politicians participating in National
Assembly from computer games to photos, really who knows what someone is up to
when they are on their personal computer. So although computer gaming is nowhere
near as prohibited as something along the lines of online casino gambling,
lawmakers are nixing theses devices.
Now, the new ban on laptops only really applies to National Assembly. The
lawmakers are not saying that laptops in and of themselves are necessarily bad,
but that electronic gadgets and devices do not belong at National Assembly.
Although individuals cannot go online through their devices while at National
Assembly (thus ruling out any chance of some quick winnings from the online
casinos), Assembly Speaker Nima Tchering notes, 'The members can be distracted
playing games and viewing pictures.
That is in essence why the lawmakers have a widespread ban on electronic gadgets
the message is clear: Feel free to play games on you own time, but pay
attention while at National Assembly. To further underscore that the lawmakers
mean business while at National Assembly, they have banned any and everything
that could cause undue distraction: smoking, eating, and of course PDAs, laptops
and other small gadgets. |