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Don’t blame it on Rio
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Open arms in 2016
For the second time in a row, an American bid to host the Olympics has been emphatically rejected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). New York was bounced early in the last election for the 2012 games and this past week, despite an in-person pitch by the commander-in-chief, Chicago was bounced in the first round of voting.
How did this happen? There are a number of reasons. The most pertinent being that South America has never hosted the games and it was time. Losing a close race to a worthy winner is fine, but coming in fourth out of four potential host cities is pretty bad. It did not help that many Chicagoans did not want the games and the Republicans were rooting against the games (and America) to give President Obama a black eye. America’s Olympic Committee and the IOC do not particularly get along due to television revenue rights and the natural friction between any American institution and the rest of the world.
Whatever reason you pick contains a grain of truth, but from a developmental and policy standpoint, the decision to give it to Rio de Janeiro makes perfect sense. Brazil is a superpower in the making while America can seem to make the necessary reforms it needs to maintain its dominant position in world affairs.
It is not that bold of a bet to see Brazilians either equaling or surpassing us Yankees in standard of living within the next generation or two. Here are some facts to support this claim that would have sounded impossible 20 years ago:
America does not have the political will to invest in their green economy and relies dependent on Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran and Venezuela for its energy needs.
Brazil has recently discovered a massive oil field in its waters that will make it an energy superpower. The Brazilian biofuel industry booming and will augment the country’s status as a net energy exporter.
America’s does not have the political will to invest in the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and built new infrastructure like High Speed Rail.
Brazil will pour $11 billion into Rio that will leave an infrastructure legacy in the commercial capital plus President Lulu de Silva has green lighted High Speed Rail in the country.
America does not have the political will to pass quality health care reform. Insurance companies will continue to eat up America GDP.
Brazil has universal health care not based on profit.
As if the beautiful weather, beautiful women, Samba, Caipirinhas and unbeatable soccer team were not enough, our southern neighbors continue to gain on us while our government fumbles along partisan lines, getting nothing accomplished.
If nothing else, the OIC selection of Rio convincingly over Chicago should not be seen as a loss for Obama, but the whole nation. The US needs this wake-up call to get moving on domestic matters. Washington is already losing to Brasilia on energy matters and transportation policy. It is time for America to play catch-up.
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