Steve Wynn & How Government Works (For Him)

Add this to the continuing Steve Wynn saga:



Now Steve Wynn is whining about how "socialist" America is becoming... And wait for it, endorses the oppressive Chinese government!

He called Obama’s policies “socialism light.” When it was suggested the policies Obama has pursued resemble those of European social democracies, he replied: “I wouldn’t want to see America become a European social democracy. It would stunt growth, inhibit our standard of living. And it would be lights out for Las Vegas.”

Wynn then offered an unsolicited endorsement of the Chinese government: “The environment in China is much more free than here.

“Do they feel they are being deprived of their human rights? No. My employees (at Wynn properties in Macau) are very happy with their government,” he said.

As Human Rights Watch and other groups have documented, China has stifled freedom of religion and expression, jailed dissidents and blocked the formation of labor unions, among other abuses.

So I guess Steve Wynn's version of "freedom" involves him enriching himself off of slave labor while the government whips and beats that slave labor into submission for him. How klassy of him.

Oh wait, and it gets better. Steve Wynn then talked about how "government doesn't do much" for him, and this Sun story highlights just how wrong he is.

Let’s start at the beginning: Many of Wynn’s tourists book their rooms on the Internet.

Where does the Internet come from? [...]

The Internet as we know it is derived from 1970s-era computer science of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which was launched to do research after the Sputnik scare.

(Government often funds research like this, through universities and institutions such as DARPA and the National Institutes of Health, because there’s no incentive for the free market to finance it — it’s too expensive, and there’s no guaranteed revenue even if the research is successful.)

Once those Internet denizens make a reservation at Wynn’s resorts, many will get in their cars in Southern California and travel on Interstate 15 to get here.

University of Nevada, Reno, economist Elliott Parker notes that the Interstate Highway System was an idea hatched by the administration of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and is owned, operated and maintained by the government. (Also worth noting: Eisenhower was on the government dole when he saved civilization from the Nazis.)

The article goes on to how police protection, Social Security (how many seniors can afford to play the slots), airports, gaming regulations, the water infrastructure, and so much more that's provided by government helps keep Steve Wynn in business.

Robinson refers to the godfather of capitalism: “That’s one of Adam Smith’s big points — you need government to enforce contracts and protect property rights.”

Nevada’s sophisticated gambling regulatory regime might feel intrusive to Wynn, but it actually helps him — the strict licensing requirements restrict Wynn’s competition. Not any old Joe can set up a poker table on the sidewalk outside Encore.

Yep, and I bet that's why Steve Wynn bankrolls so many campaigns for so many Nevada politicians. Government must obviously be working for him... Both here and in China!