Bumpy Road To Rio

The road the Rio Olympic Games seems to be paved more with hope than certainty. The August Olympic Games might melt down faster than the fans in sweltering Rio. Even the mayor of Rio has stated grave concern whether the Olympic Games can be held there.  He announced to the world that he has no faith even in security for the athletes or the fans. But alas! It's far to late to move them to another city. But then, the Olympic committee chooses host cities as much on the basis of how much bribery the bidding city can hand over, as on the basis of whether the city chosen is capable of hosting.

Here are a few of the problems Rio faces with putting on the games:

1) Brazilian politics is so corrupt that impeachment proceedings against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff are on going
2) A 45 meter section of a bike path built along a cliff side linking Ipanema and ­Copacabana beaches with the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park site, crashed into the sea, killing two people. The track was meant to be used by locals long after the Games end. It raises questions about building standards and possible corruption in Olympic projects.
3) Rio is so strapped for money that athletes in the Games village won’t have televisions in their bedrooms because of budget cuts.
4) The Zika virus scare has caused an increasing number of athletes to skip going altogether
5) The entire Russian track and field team has been banned from competing because tests showed it is rife with illegal drug usage.
6) Social unrest and street crime in Rio is so bad it's considered by some to be suicidal for fans to venture out late at night.
7) Constant power outages, transportation breakdowns fears and appalling pollution (Rio's waterways are even considered too polluted for any Olympic competition) are keeping many foreigners from even thinking of attending.
8) Off duty police officers the other day displayed a prominent banner at Rio’s Galeao International Airport for early arrivals to the games that read " Police and firefighters don’t get paid. Whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe,” and “Welcome to Hell"

It's a bit ironic that a troubled dysfunctioning world would pick a troubled dysfunctioning venue to stage the Olympic Games. I suppose Rio will pull it all together to at least get by and make it seem that it all went well. But then, even troubled Athens was not in the mess Rio is in now when it hosted the 2004 Summer Games. The lessen in all of this then should be for the Olympic Committee to at least require that a city and nation be capable of hosting before being granted the privilege of doing so.

Well, at least we can all be thankful the corrupt Olympic Committee has not yet decided the next games should be hosted by ISIS.