Sheldon Adelson and his wife are almost single-handedly financing Newt Gingrich's run for the Republican nomination. But do you know much about this man that happens to be one of the richest in the world. He had amassed a considerable fortune by 2001, but it really exploded after that when he went into the casino business with the Chinese government despite the latter's official policy against gambling. Adelson's operations in Macao now generate more revenue than all the casinos in Las Vegas combined and this quote comes from an excellent 2008 New Yorker profile:

At a groundbreaking ceremony, in March, 2007, Adelson said that many members of Congress criticize China for its human-rights record, but he added that he liked the way the Chinese run their country. “People seem to be living a good life in China,” he said. “Look at the incredible progress China has made. How can someone say they’re doing the wrong thing?” He added that those who don’t approve of the way China is governed need not go to the country. “I don’t think the U.S. should be the policeman of the whole world,” he said.

Apparently Adelson's opinion about the the US being the world's police force only extends so far though. It seems the only thing more important to Adelson than collecting huge piles of cash from losing gamblers is ensuring that Israel retains all of the land west of the Jordan river. He is adamant that there should be no compromise with the Palestinians and is a big proponent of going to war with Iran.

The actions of Sheldon Adelson and the Koch brothers should be all the rationale that we need for a constitutional amendment that declares that money is not equal to free speech and creates real reform of the campaign finance system in this country.

#sheldonadelson #indecision2012 #newtgingrich

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The World of Business: The Brass Ring
Online version of the weekly magazine, with current articles, cartoons, blogs, audio, video, slide shows, an archive of articles and abstracts back to 1925

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