Did Chicago lose the chance to host the 2016 Olympics because of airport security issues?
Among the toughest questions posed to the Chicago bid team this week in Copenhagen was one that raised the issue of what kind of welcome foreigners would get from airport officials when they arrived in this country to attend the Games. Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session following Chicago’s official presentation, pointed out that entering the United States can be “a rather harrowing experience.” [NY Times]
Well, I hope this is exactly what happened to Chicago’s chances, because that would be beautifully poetic justice. We built the post-9/11 Amerika we wanted to live in, and we can live in it without the pleasure of hosting the Olympic Games.We made our bed by inaugurating, if not electing, Bush-Cheney twice. Now we can sleep in it, alone but for the millions of people here illegally, who did not come in through an airport.
Back in August, the Obama administration continued Bush-Cheney’s policies for search of laptop computers at airports. This is a violation of the 4th amendment of the Constitution, and it’s overboard to be said to reasonably serve a compelling state interest in security. It’s wrong.
We elected Barak Obama in part to get our civil rights back, and he’s been dropping the ball. So it’s fitting and proper that he comes back from Copenhagen with nuthin.
October 7, 2009 at 9:33 am |
It’s also a matter of hemispherics. The southern half of our globe is due for the games, as it’s due for a hell of a lot more effort to balance the historical domination by the north.
October 7, 2009 at 9:51 am |
Yeah, I can see that too. There is no social justice in cartography.