The first words I hear upon entering the libertarian conference sponsored by Reason Foundation: "We've essentially lost the free market in most cities in this country … We are moving toward socialism." And, for an instant I ponder the notion that the Bush years will be remembered as the time of America's great slide into communism? Who knew? Well, obviously, the libertarians.
Reason Foundation, essentially a libertarian think tank, is best known as publisher of a monthly intellectual journal of the same name. But the around 200 people (overwhelmingly white and almost entirely male—there was only one woman among the dozens of scheduled panelists) gathered at the Mirage for the convention constitute more than the backers of the tony journal. If not the ruling elite, participants in the conference at least have a place at the table advising those who are. President Bush has called on Reason's policy experts, so has his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and even more moderate political figures such as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Technically speaking, Reason Foundation is non-partisan and, for those so inclined, there is even a Libertarian political party (whose votes election night are counted under its maiden name, Other). But one thing that came across clearly at the conference is just how pragmatic and flexible Libertarian thinkers can be. When a speaker asked how people in the room voted in the last presidential election, the Libertarian party split pretty evenly with Bush. Kerry received so few votes from participants that his supporters could be singled out by panelists for individual ridicule.
So, for those not suckled by Ayn Rand, what do Libertarians believe and why would they come to Las Vegas for a conference? On its most fundamental level Reason magazine's tag, "free minds and free markets," captures the flavor of a philosophical view that individuals and corporations should be given liberty and autonomy from government (which should be shrunk to something that can only be detected by an electron microscope). The hot issue for much froth and lather among Libertarians: a recent Supreme Court decision on eminent domain.
If this sounds a lot like the wildest fantasies of Republicans, the flip side is that on social issues the Libertarian view is just as extreme, and if implemented, might drive Ralph Reed to suicide. From crack to Lipitor, drugs would be as legal as the most hard-core of pornography. On the first night of the conference the attendees went in mass to see the erotic show Fashionistas, giving the adventurous show a rare sellout. Adult filmmaker John Stagliano, who addressed the conference, created the show. Stagliano, an economics major in college, has had a libertarian view since—you guessed it—his childhood discovery of Ayn Rand novels.
Stagliano is not the only Las Vegan who is a prominent supporter of libertarian views. A columnist for the Review-Journal, Vin Suprynowicz, arrived to offer nostalgia for his childhood years when as a boy he could ride around on a bicycle with his .22 rifle nuzzled between the handlebars. And so it's no coincidence that Las Vegas is one of the few cities in the country where eminent domain controversies actually occur. Apparently, Las Vegas is seen by Libertarians as a sort of proving ground for their ideals, albeit one under threat. According to Ted Balaker, a Fellow at Reason Foundation:
"Las Vegas allows for a lot more choices than you get in other areas. You don't have smoking bans. Clubs and restaurants are allowed to stay open all night. There is a sense of small businesses percolating and growing here, there is an element of tolerance, people allow for different kind of lifestyle choices."
Or, as Marc Cooper, a writer for the left-wing journal The Nation who addressed the conference, formulated in his book, The Last Honest Place in America: "Vegas is ... the market ethic stripped completely bare." From this viewpoint the casino is a triumph of the free markets by being a massive biosphere in which government is not visible. As Balaker observed of the busy Saturday at the Mirage:
"You have a casino, which is where people from all over the nation come to go nuts. In Las Vegas you have people who are sleep-deprived, jet-lagged, gambling and drinking into all hours of the night and trying to blow off steam. Yet, this casino is quite peaceful. If any place would be a recipe for conflict it would be a casino. But the owners of casinos know that is part of their product. They are offering a safe environment to go nuts."
Of course, like so much about casinos, the absence of government is only an illusion or, excuse me, a mirage, we create for tourists. There are probably few businesses in the country more regulated than a casino environment. They can't even hire freely since each applicant has to apply to the government for a card granting them the right to work in a casino—like a security clearance. Then add to that that the Strip (including the Mirage) is heavily unionized. Balaker concedes these points, of course, but argues: "There is the idea of Vegas vs. how Vegas is today. It's comparative vs. the absolutes. Irvine (California) could learn a lot from Las Vegas." Irvine, of course, uses bar times, smoking bans and probably even the old-timers there don't yearn for the days of tots toting firearms.