Friday, March 19, 2010

Annals of Hype: The Real Meaning of the Olympics

What every Marxist should know about the Olympics--tr

The Five Ring Circus - Myths and realities of the Olympic Games [reposted from GamesMonitor]
Book Review | Human Rights | Olympics Studies | Planning & Development | Politics | Protest | Vancouver 2010

"The Olympic Games, once considered the pinnacle of athleticism and fair play, have become a cesspool of greed, backroom deals and the wholesale trampling of civil liberties. In Vancouver, preparations for the 2010 Games have had a substantial negative impact on the environment and have resulted in the 'economic cleansing' of the poor and homeless.

Five Ring Circus details the history of how Vancouver won the bid for the 2010 Games, who was involved, and what the real motives were. It describes the role of corporate media in promoting the Games, the machinations of Government and business, and the opposition that has emerged." (Back cover blurb)

"This book is the IOC and VANOC's worst nightmare. Five Ring Circus is a well-researched and challenging examination of how the Olympics is, at its heart, all about real estate mega deals, and making rich developers even richer. Christopher Shaw should get a medal for investigative journalism."
David Eby, lawyer, Pivot Legal Society