I remember, as a kid, never enjoying the Olympics. I always liked watching sports on TV (hockey, figure skating, and baseball in particular), but I always thought the Olympics were boring. As I’ve grown older, I have noticed massive inequalities in the games, and that they are far more commercial than they are presented. Don’t get me wrong; I think the athletes are massively talented and deserving of praise, but I personally feel that the Olympics need a huge overhaul before I can begin to respect them. I am not often the person to take such a hugely leftist viewpoint, but I really think it’s called for in this instance. Here are a few reasons why I dislike the Olympics so much:
1. The ‘transient cleansing’ – basically, shipping the homeless out of Vancouver to make it ‘someone else’s problem’ – instead of using the money they’re raping the taxpayers for to fix the poverty issue in Vancouver. They could, instead, put many programs into effect to get these people off the streets into safer surroundings and educate them so they can get back into the working world.
2. The money – it’s a waste of money that is going to end up coming out of taxpayer’s pockets. It took Montreal 30 years to pay back it’s Olympic debt – money that could have been used for social programs, addictions programs, welfare rehauling, etc. Vancouverites are going to be stuck paying more money over the next however many years it takes to pay this back, making it even more expensive to live in. Also, nobody is responsible for reporting to the public on the overall cost of the Games. There are guesses at around 3 billion. 3 BILLION. With 3 billion, a cheque for $100 could be issued to every person living in Canada. It would be enough to improve every post-secondary school in the country.
3. They’re racist – Let’s face it, the Olympics are as white as the snow they’re played on. They exist to congratulate white people on being so awesome at sports. The Games were set up by elite Europeans and built on their popular sports. This gives no mention to the racism between teams or countries.
4. They’re political – The games have been used since their inception as weapons of power and prestige. The US boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviets boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Games to hit back at the previous protest. The 1936 Berlin Games were used by the Nazi regime to promote it’s beliefs and build it’s power. Politics are used to determine who can even participate in the stupid things. Here is a list of the stupid political IOC shit.
5. They’re sexist – Men still more than dominate the Olympics, by a long shot. It’s 2010, assholes. Get with the program. In the 2006 Torino Olympics, there were 2,508 athletes: 1,548 men; 960 women.
and finally:
6. They are ecologically harmful – think about it – thousands (millions, even) of people all flying and driving to one place, and then overcrowding said place; making cars idle longer, creating more garbage and littering, wasting more food, etc.
So no, I won’t be watching the Olympics. I don’t agree with the current Vancouver riots – I think there are more peaceful ways to protest – but I don’t agree with the games. They’re just that – games.
