In all the controversy around the Games in Sochi, where are the different corporate sponsors? Where is the IOC?
The IOC's response is and has always been that it shouldn't be about politics, I call bull-crap! There is a difference between not agreeing with the political ideals of a host (or participating) country and accepting blatant disregard of the most basic of human rights. As a signatory country of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we should strive to live up to it and demand from (non) signatories that they adhere to it should they want to do business with us. The games were conceived as a means to promote understanding across cultures, thereby lessening the dangers of war. The games are all about bringing us together despite our differences. But there are limits to what we should tolerate, let alone accept.
Looking at the, lack of, response from the IOC and the different national OC's, I can't help but wonder if it hasn't been about the big bucks all along. Now, it's about the LGBT community, but how many families have been "evacuated" over the years in order to create big and spectacular venues for these games. How many countries literally sold their souls to get a chance to be the host?
Isn't it time we, the international community, stood up and told the organisers to either put up or shut up? Isn't it about time that sports be subjected to the same demands and expectations we have for other industries? Let us not kid ourselves, this is business and as such should be held to the same standards we demand from other multinational corporations.
The international community is all aflutter demanding boycotts left and right for Russian products. I concur. But I also say, let's give a strong signal to the enablers that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
It's about time ethics won it from economics in sport too.
No comments:
Post a Comment