Every four summers we are treated to the Olympic spectacle of matchless athletes encased in a curious hodgepodge of patriotism, nationalism, and "human interest."
A columnist for the Oregonian drew a lot of flak for pointing out what the rest of the world has long known: everyone but the U.S. roots against the U.S. at the Olympics. It hardly seems fair that the richest nation in the world, a country whose military budget is about as much as everyone else's put together, also gets to scoop up an obscene number of Olympic medals, wave the American flag around in front of the rest of the world every few minutes, and chant "U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!!" nonstop for weeks while most of the world's nations win not a single medal. All of this while American athletes and their families maneuver to present themselves as virtuous underdogs deserving of big sponsorship deals.
This is not to say that I didn't go crazy when Galen Rupp (who played soccer for a local coach I know well and went to my son's high school) kicked his way to a silver medal in the 5,000 meters.
But the Olympics more often reflect than transcend nationalism, a fact that the endless stories of young, virtuous Americans struggling for excellence helps to obscure. The Olympics both project and disguise U.S. power.
How true. And let's not forget their role in commercialism. They are a huge marketing platform.
ReplyDelete