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THE 2022 OLYMPICS: PR FOR DICTATORS How China & Russia Used Beijing to Manipulate Us By Berit Anderson Someone has to say it. The 2022 Beijing Olympics have been a sham - a platform for propaganda and political maneuvering, centering Russian and Chinese athletes on an uneven athletic playing field - a PR smokescreen for Ukrainian invasion, whether by physical or other means, and an incursion into Taiwan. While the world's media turn their adoring gazes to Beijing, the CRINK (our term for China, Russia, Iran, and NK) military alliance actively threatens the sovereignty of Ukraine and Taiwan and commits ongoing genocide against millions of Uyghurs. Just Tuesday morning, after Russia made a show of removing troops from the border with Ukraine, a set of DDoS attacks took down Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Culture Ministry, and two largest state banks. The International Olympic Committee, which has long feigned political independence, is actively facilitating this platforming of authoritarianism, making a mockery of Olympic ideals and insulting the thousands of Olympic athletes who have spent their lives training for these moments. This is the real story of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the bigger picture among the many tales of personal athletic resilience and triumph that make such touching fodder for international media. To athletes, the Olympic Games are a symbol of grit, dedication, and achievement. A laurel to celebrate a lifetime of falls and injuries and 5am training sessions with expensive coaches. A final chance for validation of both finance and fame. Criticism of the games themselves is often dismissed as being belittling to athletes. That could not be further from the truth. It is essential that we hold both truths at once: 1) These are incredible athletes, at the top of their human potential. 2) The IOC is allowing China and Russia to use the games to advance the rise of global authoritarianism. Holding the IOC accountable for its complicity in smoothing over genocide, cyberattacks, and human rights incursions protects the efforts of athletes everywhere, whether they live in China, Norway, or South Africa. |
