£13 billion (and counting) has been spent to host the corporate bonanza known as the modern olympics in London. A benefit of the G4S security fiasco has been that it has disturbed the rose-tinted olympic bliss bathed in by 99% of our servile, craven, uncritical and ultimately corporately whoring media.
At long last there are signs that a more critical gaze will be turned on several targets.
The first images that greet arrival at Euston are McDonald’s promoting their ads and “proud to be an Olympic Sponsor.” How risible can it be to have a company with such a long track record of persuading the stupid to overeat unhealthily as ‘an Olympic Sponsor?’ Ditto Coca-Cola.
Other corporate giants with a less than honourable history include Samsung, the giant South Korean electronics company. The head of Samsung is Lee Kun Hee who was found guilty of tax evasion on a massive scale some years ago. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and his conviction meant he would lose his place on the committee.......so he was pardoned by South Korea’s president. This meant Lee Kun Hee could continue to lobby hard for the Winter Olympics to come to Korea.
Welcome to the realpolitik world of global sport. In a nutshell you see how it works. A little closer to home there is the delightful Guy Drut who was convicted for election fraud in France but as an IOC member was pardoned by President Chirac to keep his seat on the committee.
Not convinced? Step forward Dow Chemical. The US giant took over Union Carbide, the company who so despicably were responsible for the worst chemical disaster in history - 25,000 died. They ran the factory at Bhopal in India. Dow washed their hands of any responsibility for the aftermath of the disaster - although it could be assumed that they bought Union Carbide with their eyes open - an ability denied to the thousands of victims who suffer on with numerous ailments including blindness. Groundwater in the Bhopal area remains seriously contaminated badly affecting some of the poorest and most benighted people on the planet. Dow continue to wash their hands of any liability yet were quite happy to stump up millions for a vanity 'wrap' around the stadium.
Still feeling chipper? Try Lloyds Bank. As in B A N K. As in B A N K E R S! Not forgetting that the CEO of Locog used to be European Chief Operations Officer for Goldmann Sachs, the well-known tax-avoiding finance organisation.
While we are on about very filthy lucre consider this. All large scale sporting events have the capability of making vast sums of money for the governing bodies - untaxed! FIFA and the IOC demand that host countries provide temporary tax havens. Despite the vast amounts paid by taxpayers in the UK to stage the games, nothing will come back from the 18 Olympic partners.
FIFA have been dragged through the Swiss Courts over their financial malpractice. They stand as among the most corrupt organisations in the world. The slimeball who heads this nest-feathering bunch is one Sepp Blatter. He will be enjoying the ‘Olympic Only’ lanes as he is a member of the IOC. Despite revelations last week he will be ‘meeted and greeted’ as an ‘honourable guest’ of Squeaky Coe and Locog.
Blatter is in good company. The dedicated fast lanes will carry some of the most reprehensible people on the planet.
All here at our expense and as our guests.
To be protected by G4S. Every cloud as they say.......
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