"Pot and Slots"

"But both have been made possible by the same trend in American attitudes: the rise of a live-and-let-live social libertarianism, the weakening influence of both religious conservatism and liberal communitarianism, the growing suspicion of moralism in public policy.

"And both, in different ways, illustrate the potential problems facing a culture pervaded by what the late sociologist Robert Bellah called 'expressive individualism' and allergic to any restrictions on what individuals choose to do."

 

Ross Douthat in The New York Times links the rising popularity of legalized marijuana and casino gambling.