Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo 2016 Olympic bid
Prague, Czech Republic - Prague 2016 Olympic bid
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic bidThese are my top three choices for the 2016 Olympics Summer Games. Note that Chicago is not on the list. To be fair, I was also relieved that my home town of Los Angeles is not on the list due to its many systemic problems with transit and socio-economic inequalities. (You are either affluent here in Los Angeles or you are struggling. There is no middle-class here. Middle-class people can't afford a $550,000 dollar home, two $15,000 cars, and 2.1 kids.)
Also note that it is not that I have any problem with the city of Chicago but rather that the USA has hosted more Olympiads than any other country.
According to the USOC: "... Including the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the United States has served as the host country more than any other country -- a total of eight times -- four times each for the winter and summer Olympic Games. St. Louis, Mo., was the first U.S. city to host the modern Olympic Games in 1904. In 1932, the U.S. hosted both the IIIrd Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the Games of the Xth Olympiad in Los Angeles. Squaw Valley, Calif., and Lake Placid were the host cities for the 1960 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, respectively, while the 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, where a record-setting profit was realized, and the 1996 Olympic Games were held in Atlanta. France and Germany are the only other countries to have ever hosted two Olympic Games in one year. After the USA, France has hosted the most Olympic Games -- five, including the 1992 Olympic Winter Games. [Link]
3 comments:
Well first of all I think the Olympic folks cow tow to the US Media Companies. Hey, Look at how NBC got the swimming finals to fall into prime time viewing by forcing China to have them in the morning China time.
Secondly I vote for Praque if we can't have them in the USA. I would love them to be in the USA and plan a summer vacation around them.
Rio. Now there's a model for social equality and justice.
22% of Brazil's populace is below the poverty line. The average income is $4,666 per year - ($5,000 is our poverty line)
Yes, Brazil has many racial issues and severe economic inequality but when the average person in the Chicago makes about 700-1,000% more income per year, my standards become more sympathetic to the poor.
The United States has hosted the games far more than any other country, I think having the games hosted in Rio would only help their situation whereas in Chicago it would be jut another Olympics in the richest country in the world.
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