Abolish the Olympics

The Tokyo “2020” Olympics are still, somehow, happening this year. They are happening despite the fact that roughly only 20 percent of the Tokyo population is fully vaccinated days before the opening ceremony; despite a COVID outbreak of more than fifty Olympics-related visitors, including in the Olympic Village itself; despite reports of sexual violence at the new stadium; despite a mountain of public relations disasters, from the creative head of the Tokyo Organising Committee stepping down for calling a woman an “Olympig” (only to be replaced by a woman with her own sexual harassment scandal) to a high-level Japanese Olympic Committee accounting executive who jumped in front of a train days after a whistleblower came forward to the composer of the games being scrutinized for his abusive behavior. After all this, we hear the International Olympic Committee (IOC) call on Japanese residents to make “sacrifices” to ensure the games continue on.

And the games continue on, despite 83 percent of Tokyo residents wanting them canceled; despite pleas for their cancellation by Japanese medical officials and nurses already dealing with the current COVID emergency and hospitals at full capacity; despite several dozen Olympic athletes and officials testing positive for COVID and the fact that many of the athletes are unvaccinated themselves. The IOC keeps going, despite even the most mainstream opposition and calls for accountability; despite the blithely racist punishment of athletes; despite its fascist overtones (and history). The IOC continues to march on and threaten any athlete who steps too far out of line during the competitions themselves, just like they always have.

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