Fabulous news that Brazil “won” the 2016 Olympic Games!
I am really sorry Obama put his international status so visible into the ring for Chicago– and then lost. (But I always thought him going after it so intently was a big mstake, as I explained earlier this morning.
At IPS, Mario Osava reported (happily) that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Brazil has “the happiest and most creative” people in the world, and deserved this opportunity.
At Daily Finance, Ryan Blitstein noted the sizeable movement amongst Chicago’s citizens who had opposed the Olympic bid. He also reported that big US corporations had spent $72.8 million just on the campaign to get Chicago as far as the Copenhagen run-off.
He concluded,
- That’s more than the budget of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago [the city’s major non-governmental social-service agency], and it doesn’t count the untold millions worth of in-kind contributions from major law firms and other consultants.
In a city with well over 500,000 people living below the poverty line, that’s serious cash. The best that locals here can say is that, with the city losing its bid, at least they know another $250 million or more won’t be wasted to gear up for 2016.
At Foreignpolicy.com, Eduardo Gomez wrote,
- For those familiar with Brazil’s athletic history, today’s decision seems only natural. The country breathes sports — everything from Nascar racing, to volleyball, to soccer, to martial arts. And more importantly, perhaps, to the International Olympic Committee, the country has a long history of hosting international sporting events. In 1963, for example, Brazil hosted the Fourth Pan American games in São Paulo, drawing in thousands of competitors and spectators. The Pan American Games were once again hosted in 2007 in Rio, providing even more recent evidence of Brazil’s commitment and ability to host international games.
Wisely, however, Lula did not rely on this culture and history alone to propel his bid. In recent years, the president seems to have been taking notes on how other countries have increased their odds. Among the lessons he garnered was the importance of physically attending the presentation and vote to stake his claim. He noted then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s efforts in 2007, for example, when Blair traveled to Copenhagen, made a strong case for London, and came home with the 2012 summer games. In 2005, then President Vladimir Putin showed up before the Olympic Committee in Guatemala to lobby for Russia’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Games, which he won. Following in their footsteps, Lula made it very clear early on that he was planning to travel to Copenhagen to fight for Brazil’s right to the Olympics. In sharp contrast, U.S. President Barack Obama announced he would attend only at the last minute. Loving soccer as he does, Lula no doubt saw this as a competitive challenge — one that he clearly gamed masterfully.
While in Copenhagen, Lula was also very strategic in his country’s presentation before the committee. He brushed aside concerns of violence and crime in Rio, and to the president’s credit, the Olympic Committee praised Brazil for recent security improvements. Lula also claimed that the Olympics would help build Brazil, and especially the city of Rio de Janeiro, by providing jobs for the poor, integrating civil society, and building a spirit of peace and cooperation through sport. Such a prospect no doubt appealed to the committee as this goal was one of the original touted benefits of the modern Olympics Games, dating back to their genesis at the end of the 19th century.
Most important, though, was Lula’s argument that Brazil deserved and needed the Olympics. Richer countries had had their turn, Lula said, and now it was Brazil’s chance. Brazil ranks 10th among the world’s wealthiest countries, but it is the only one of them never to have hosted the games. It will be the first South American country to do so.
International sports tend to mirror politics. Today’s decision will reveal, yet again, that Brazil is an emerging power, and that it has the talent, infrastructural capacity, and political commitment needed to play competitively in global political (and athletic) games.
Go, Brazil!
Well deserved arrival of the Olympics to South America.
Pathetic display by Obama and wife, showing that the Miss Congeniality approach to foreign affairs is beyond naive. The entire crew of elite African Americans (including Michelle and Ophra) got a nasty slap in the face by coming in last in spite of their begging.
Maybe a Brazilian mulata is still more attractive than the fashion queen that resides in the white house.
Sad display of misplaced presidential priorities, and bad rebuke to Obama’s illusion of limitless personal charm.
This is a very stupid post. Brazil should be humiliated by the fact that it will now spend $11 dollars building bullshit like sports stadiums and water facilities, rather than on public health and education. THE OLYMPICS ARE A COST, NOT A BENEFIT. regardless of what stupid nationalism people associate with running in circles, it is not good for the country.
This is a horrible day, and shows the depth of stupidity that humanity has sunk to. it’s sick.
Yes, congratulations to Brazil; I hope it doesn’t regret this day.
I live in British Columbia which will be hosting the 2010 Winter Games. In 1976, I was living in Quebec during the Montreal Summer Games. In both cases, hosting the Olympics has placed an enormous financial burden on the provinces. Incredible as it may seem, the debt from the Montreal Olympics (the Big Owe, as it came to be called) has only recently been retired, after 30+ years. Here in BC, the gov’t is awash in red ink and cutting spending on everything else, including social programs. (To create the right image of BC, the province now wants to give to police the power to force homeless people off the streets.)
To Chicago: it may not feel like it, but the IOC did you a favour today.
And the whole thing was given the full Obama-worshipping treatment live on all the US networks and cables. What a hoot. The YOUTUBE videos are priceless.
All reminds me of the bidding for the 1996 Oylmpics. Becos it was the 100th anniversary of Games, Athens was the red hot sentimental favourite. My home city Melbourne was the 2nd favorite – we are the 2nd largest Greek city in the world – huge Greek post war immigration.
Anyway, to everybody’s shock, Atlanta won. Then, not long after, it emerged that the americans had bought off ioc delegates, including our own. Atlanta went on to host the most incompetent, cheapskate, embarrassing games in history! The scandals erupted. And of course there was Salt Lake City.
In the next bidding, Sydney pipped Beijing by one vote and from that moment it seemed the IOC had woken up to itself. The next games they shamefacedly gave to Athens. Sadly Melina Mercouri was not alive to see it.
London got across the line soley because Tony Blair went there and spent an entire day personally lobbying each IOC delegate individually. The fact that he was held in such high regard at the time was astonishing given his commitment to the Iraq war. It just goes to show what an exceptional statesman he is.
In contrast, Chicago’s bid was opportunistic, arrogant, johnny-come-lately, and WITHOUT substance. The Obamas were the perfect front couple, when you think about it. Pity Michelle’s designer frocks didn’t work this time!
I meant, in my post above, to say $11 billion dollars. and also, i meant “swimming facilities” rather than “water facilities”.
Moral of the story is that Brazil is now screwed. and for 2 weeks of a sports orgy. what a tremendous waste of money, resources, talent and energy.
spend that money on your people, not some international festival of empty bullshit.
I am really surprised at Helena. normally you are dedicated to social justice. supporting a huge and useless debt burden for a poor country is anything but generous.
That’s too bad. I was hoping for Chicago but congrats Rio de Janeiro