A Grand Prix race in the nighttime streets of Las Vegas, with a scarlet race car hurtling past a grand, multicolored, and illuminated globe-shaped edifice. Upon the structure, the words 'Welcome to Las Vegas' are boldly emblazoned. The car is cornering swiftly, and the scene is bathed in the vibrant hues of the city's neon lights. Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters.
Grand Prix auto racing on the streets of cities; in this instance, Las Vegas. But how and by what right is such an event permitted? Pray tell, is this not a prime example of crony capitalism, where a private entity, with the blessing of the city's authorities, is granted the power to shutter public roadways, forcing them to be repaved not once but twice, for the sake of a mere spectacle? Such actions not only disrupt the normal flow of trade and commerce, but also severely curtail the freedom of movement of the city's inhabitants. Indeed, tales abound of workers on the renowned Strip who were forced to endure hours-long waits in parking garages, their workday extended by this arbitrary closure. Yet, one wonders, were the citizens of Las Vegas consulted in this matter? Did they clamor for this Grand Prix, a race that would bring with it the disruption of their daily lives and the expenditure of millions for infrastructure repairs? All for the sake of a noisy and dangerous contest of automobiles, whose economic benefits remain dubious at best?
I declare this a flagrant violation of the civil liberties of Las Vegas residents, nay, of any city that is subjected to such an absurdity. Such a spectacle should find no place in a free and just society.
Do peruse the esteemed Neil deMause's blog, 'Field of Schemes,' wherein thou shalt uncover the unscrupulous tactics employed by professional sports organizations to exploit the public's goodwill, most often with the complicity of self-serving politicians who eagerly thrust their cities and states into the path of financial ruin. A veritable awakening to the machinations of these avaricious entities.
As a steadfast devotee of sporting contests, I find myself wrestling with an internal turmoil, torn between my enduring passion for the games and a growing disdain for the shameless commercialization that has engulfed them. This pervasive pursuit of profit has permeated every facet of the sporting realm, from the incessant barrage of ever-goofier television advertisements to the outrageous demands made by teams upon public funds. Such excesses have reached a point where our daily lives are disrupted and our hard-earned tax dollars are diverted into the coffers of millionaires and billionaires, all in the name of perpetuating these grand spectacles. This has transformed our nation into a veritable 'United States of Entertainment,' a realm where the pursuit of amusement has eclipsed all other values. Alas, this trend is but a harbinger of further excesses to come.
{READ ‘Vegas Grand Prix claims $1.2B in positive impact from closing down local businesses for a week’ from Field of Schemes 11/21}
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