#1429 The Grit, Glory and Gaslighting of the Olympic Games
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 14 July 2021
⏱️ 76 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 7/13/2021
Today we take a look at the costs of the Olympic Games including financial, ethical, moral and social. Private profits come at the hands of public investment, disruption of communities, curtailing of rights and, this year, extensive health risks.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content)
BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!
OUR AFFILIATE LINKS:
BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE!
BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS!
BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE
BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE!
BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How The Olympics Became So Expensive For Host Cities - CNBC - Air Date 6-21-21
Cities incurring overrun costs when hosting the Olympics is not just unique to just Rio; according to the Council on Foreign Relations, since 1960, every Olympics saw high overrun costs. As overrun costs become a growing concern, several cities withdrew
Ch. 2: The 2020* Olympics - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-18-21
*Are being held this summer in Tokyo. And it’s a mess.
It's a scam to extract resources from local governments in hopes they can "win" corporate cash, headquarters, facilities, and, of course, the promise of "jobs". Cities around the world debase themselves to compete for the "honor" of hosting the Olmpics.
Jules Boykoff, Pacific University professor of politics and government, former US Olympian and author of NOlympians: Inside the Fight Against Capitalist Mega-Sports in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Beyond, discusses the Olympics industrial complex.
In a development that shocked and saddened fans of track and field, and the Olympics, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Friday morning that Richardson had accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for cannabis.
Runner Sha'Carri Richardson was not named to the U.S. relay team and will officially not compete in the Tokyo Olympics following her positive test result for marijuana.
Ch. 7: Olympic Athletes Not Allowed To Protest - TYT Sports - Air Date 4-30-21
Athletes are being warned about protesting at the 2021 Olympics. Rick Strom breaks it down.
Ch. 8: Anne Orchier of NOlympics LA on Tokyo 2020 Olympic Opposition - Burn It All Down - Air Date 7-8-21
Lindsay Gibbs interviews Anne Orchier of NOlympics LA about opposition to the Toyko 2020 Olympics from on-the-ground organizers in Japan, which is largely led by unhoused people and those who will be displaced by the games.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Olympic racism is being exposed - By Any Means Necessary - Air Date 7-6-21
The racist and transphobic history behind disqualification of Olympic women runners due to “naturally high testosterone” levels, as Nambian sprinters Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi are kept from competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Names - Alyson from Boulder, CO
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on why we all, including Sha'Carri Richardson, are victims of White Supremacy
Bonus: The Racist Origins of Marijuana Prohibition - Business Insider - Air Date 3-1-18
How did marijuana become illegal in the first place? As it turns out, it has some roots in racist rhetoric pushed by politicians and the media in the 1930s, when it first became illegal.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world)
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | During today's episode, I'm going to be telling you about a new podcast. |
| 0:06.4 | I think you should be checking out. |
| 0:07.8 | It's called Uneffing the Republic, but they don't censor their words or their politics. |
| 0:13.0 | So hear me out mid-show when I tell you all about it. |
| 0:16.0 | And now, welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left podcast in which we shall |
| 0:20.6 | take a look at the costs of the Olympic Games, including financial, ethical, moral, and |
| 0:26.6 | social. |
| 0:27.9 | It profits, come at the hands of public investment, disruption of communities, curtailing of |
| 0:32.9 | rights, and this year, extensive health risks. |
| 0:36.1 | Equipped today are from CNBC, today explained, citations needed, the majority report, Time |
| 0:43.2 | Magazine, all in with Chris Hayes, TYT Sports, Burn It All Down by any means necessary and |
| 0:50.0 | business insider. |
| 0:51.8 | In 1896, the Olympic Games became a truly international competition, as it modernized |
| 1:02.4 | becoming what it looks like today, a biannual event with summer and winter games. |
| 1:07.9 | In its infancy, the games were relatively small. |
| 1:10.8 | Host cities would use public funds for the games, with ticket sales generating revenue |
| 1:14.6 | to offset costs. |
| 1:15.6 | Very first Olympic Games were in 1896. |
| 1:18.8 | You know, women were able to compete in those games and certainly over time now as we |
| 1:24.1 | look at his recent at 2018. |
| 1:26.4 | The games look a lot different, feel a lot different. |
| 1:29.4 | This is Dr. Nicole Forster. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jay Tomlinson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jay Tomlinson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.