Lesson: Must the Games go on?

We are going through perhaps the event of our lifetimes. This pandemic is something children will study in textbooks. The mantra of the IOC is ‘The Games Must Go On.’ Throughout history, nothing short of war has cancelled the Olympics. Italy is on a wartime footing, with the population confined to their homes as thousands die from COVID-19. New York City, the city that never sleeps, is a ghost town, while San Francisco and the entire state of California are under a ‘shelter in place’ order. The Canada-US border, the longest undefended border in the world, is closed to non-essential travel. Stock markets around the globe have tanked. People worldwide no longer shake hands and are afraid to touch anything out of fear of being contaminated by an invisible enemy. Even Donald Trump has changed his tune. Today (Mar. 21, 2020), the New York Times, on the front page, predicts 75% of Americans will be infected by May 20 if further drastic steps are not taken. The IOC and JOC are determined to hold the Games as planned. As I create this lesson, both the Australian and American Olympic Committees support this decision. The National Post has said Tokyo is “tone-deaf.” Athletes and Officials from Britain and Canada have condemned Japan’s dogged determination to go through with plans. Cracks are appearing in the JOC, most recently with Kaori Yamaguchi calling for a postponement. In the Sydney Morning Herald, Eddie Jones explains why Japan is so determined. Does it require cultural understanding, or is it an example of cultural blindness? Almost all online articles call for an outright cancellation or at least a postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The question is, ‘Must the Games go on?’ Wash your hands.