Las Vegas intro 1728a

I've always had a love/hate relationship with Las Vegas. As someone concerned about the environment, it's disheartening to see the 'pave the desert' mentality that seems to be a part of Las Vegas, and the seeming absolute waste of water and electricity is frightening. And, the superficiality of it makes me seriously question the state of American culture.

On the other hand, if I can put aside my concerns, it is fun and amazing to visit -- as one friend has said, "an adult Disneyland." When you look at what has been built in the past few years, you see capitalistic genius at work in terms of interpreting and catering to American (and international) fantasies: MGM Grand captures the movie fantasies of Americans; parts of New York, New York leave you feeling almost like you're in Greenwich Village; Bellagio quite nicely captures the sense of being in a Northern Italian resort for the wealthy; Wynn, and now City Center, bespeak a new level of refined elegance. All in all, Las Vegas gives even the average middle-class visitor a momentary sense of being in the midst of luxury and sophisticated fantasy.