COVID-19 might still be raging in our region but that hasn’t slowed the post-pandemic political bread and circus show, AKA the Olympics.
Here’s a quick wrap-up of this week’s alternative reality in which both the international and Australian Olympic committees operate, while always strongly backed up by desperate governments — including various Australian ones, of course.
(And I’m not just talking about the current debate over our young, healthy Olympians being pushed to jump the COVID-19 vaccine queue.)
On Monday, the federal government announced it would go halves with the Queensland Government in paying for the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, should they win the bid (due to be announced in early July).
To their small credit, Canberra waited until two hours before the deadline to agree to a 50-50 funding deal with the state government, which would include infrastructure, venue and roads.
You know, all the usual useless things promised for a sporting extravaganza of dubious economic benefit while the citizens scream for silly things like health and education.
Snake-oil promises
The cost for the Brisbane folly at this stage is estimated to be a paltry $5 billion (AS. IF.), with the usual snake-oil promises from Australian Olympic Committee overlord John Coates that the IOC will stump up billions, that there will be billions more in private funding, and that of course it will be “cost-neutral”.
As if we haven’t heard that before. There is still widespread scepticism about just how much economic and tourism benefit actually flowed from “the best Olympics ever” in Sydney. And who could forget, though most already have, Queensland just had a go at all this with the underwhelming 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
Not enough, apparently.
“It will set Queensland up for decades to come,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, speaking of the bid on Monday. “So Sydney had its time to shine, and in 2032, Brisbane, Queensland, it’s going to be fantastic.”
Let’s put it in context by saying this was the same week we were reminded, yet again, about why the IOC could barely find any cities stupid enough to bid for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics, which were gratefully divided between the last ones standing in Paris and Los Angeles.
And let’s not start on the ludicrous 2022 Winter Olympics with only two bidders; one of which was the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (for once not a Borat satire), so it was naturally awarded to the alternative (Beijing). The US has already raised the prospect of a boycott given China’s current pariah status. Happy Days.
Which brings us to the current Summer Olympics debacle currently unfolding in our region but obviously being ignored by Australian governments.
This Monday, Tokyo went into a state of emergency to try and halt a third burgeoning COVID-19 wave, and this a mere 86 days before the opening ceremony is due for the postponed 2020 summer games.
No wonder some 80% of the Japanese population recently called for the games to be cancelled or postponed.
It might also have something to do with the astronomical blowout in costs for what was already going to be the most expensive Summer Olympics on record. When awarded in 2013 they were budgeted at a mere $10 billion, but by early this year had doubled to $22 billion. Most unofficial estimates, however, put the final bill at more than $30 billion.
Yes, $30 billion for an event that will allow no foreign visitors and expect the locals to brave pandemic risk to clap this travesty as they still won’t be allowed to cheer or shout. Or even scream “I hate the IOC”.
Better than the “Aussie Aussie, oi oi” ringing in the pollies’ ears from Canberra to Brisbane and obviously drowning out the hysterical laughter over that $5 billion price tag.
The Olympics are just 4 yearly location themed versions of the Roman Colosseum on wheels. An extravagant gravy train for IOC board members, nationalist jingoism events for nations and diverting pap for the masses.
I have visited a few forlorn, hardly ever used former Olympic stadia, monuments to IOC greed and pomposity, nationalist delusion and excess and increasingly more remembered for which country or individual had the best drugs of the time.
Annual world championships, now held for most sports, provide more consistent and current views of sporting prowess including that ever present window on to the individual/s currently with the best drugs and/or the most proficient at hiding their addiction.
The performances and medal tallies of all these events are soon forgotten by all, except the holders, only to be briefly revisited in the service of periodic bouts of jingoism.
The enduring remnants for ordinary hosting folk are huge debts and largely unused memorials to their folly – meanwhile the IOC circus has moved on to the seduction of a new victim – the ponzi Frankenstein lives again.
I’m ambivalent about them, while certainly thinking this year’s should be called off. I like the idea of athletes extending the scope of what is known to be possible for human beings, on the other hand there’s the drugs. What I really don’t like is that a group of young people are fooled into believing this is a worthwhile thing to do with their lives, and devote untold hours to a pursuit that is largely illusory even for the very few that succeed. And then there is all the money that is spent on the athletes, which all studies show would bring more bang for buck if spread around community sports to get everyone involved.
I lived through much of the glory days of the olympics, they are most certainly gone now.
Some snippy snippets in there, I like it. Overlord John Coates sums him up well!
It is ridiculous – I really pity the Japanese people. Why not cancel the 2020 (postponed) games, and have the 2024 games in Tokyo – is what is happening in India not enough to bring everyone to their senses? And while I am about it does anyone know what is happening in Bangladesh and Pakistan – I am betting it is not good.
Or Africa?
Such a small place, with very few people, that I guess it doesn’t rate in the news schedule.
Accurate summation. Very apt that the ABC is re-running the sublime The Games, at present.
Only thing you missed would be the developers. Doubtless they will be able to grab some public land and circumvent temporarily, or even permanently, some environmental controls, all under Olympic cover. If the resistance is a bit stiffer than usual expect the phrase “social housing” to also be brought into play. Which will melt away after the games almost as fast as the athletes leaving. And far more quickly than the debt and eyesores.
Years ago I read a proposal that the only thing that would save the Olympics is choosing one location (probably Athens) and making that the permanent one moving forward. The idea would be that different nations would host but would bring their culture to Greece and avoid the multi-billion dollar blow outs.