The 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro have been a tremendous success for the United States, at least as far as athletics go. The international competion that takes place every four years has a way of bringing together people of disparate backgrounds. I stood amongst a group of people watching the semi-final men's Volleyball match between Italy and the US (eventually won by Italy, 3 sets to 2) at a McDonald's this morning, and noticed a businessman, a teacher, and a construction worker, all focused together, trying to will the US team to victory. The fervor with which the people of Rio support the Brazilian athletes is an example of how people can come together and forget the difficulties of life for a while, long enough the share pride in their nation. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union/Commenwealth of Independent States, the US has had little competion, when it comes to overall medal count. No doubt this encourages some folks to root against the US athletes, and the events of the last week indicate that this negativity can exist off the courts as well.
Last weekend, decorated US swimmer Ryan Lochte's mother publicly announced that her son, along with three orher US swimmers, had been robbed after a night partying. It didn't take long for the story to grow legs. For all practical purposes, Brazil is a third-world country, with out-of-control unemployment, crime, poverty, and a huge separation in living standards between a small wealthy elite and the rest of the population. Recently, the people of Brazil, fed-up with endemic political corruption, took to the streets. The president has been impeached, and investigations into corruption seem to involve every political power. This was the environment in which Brazil has pulled off a successful Olympic games. Unfortunately, a segment of the population objected to the money being spent to build velodromes and other obsolete structures, when the majority of people, especially those living in the Favelas (look it up), live without electricity and running water. Some Olympic athletes expressed concern about safety in Rio de Jameiro, so there wasn't much surprise when an Olympic athlete claimed that he and other athletes had been robbed after a night at a disco.
Now it appears that the story Lochte told to his mother and later shared with NBC news personality Matt Lauer, was full of false details (lies?). Brazilian authorities, disturbed by the fact that Lochte and his companions did not report the incident, claimed other inconsistencies. Lochte had already left Brazil, but authorities refused to allow the remaining three swimmers depart until the event had been thoroughly investigated. Almost from the beginning, rhe international media was fed by leaks provided by various Brazilian authorities in the Police Department and the Department of Justice. Initially, the Brazilian authorities claimed that although security personnel were on the scene, no weapons were pulled. There is no doubt that a concerted effort was made to try and convict Lochte and his companions, before the other three had even spoken on the subject. After Conger and Benz, two of Lochte's companions that night, were interviewed, they were greeted outside Police Headquarters by a crowd that was prepared for a lynching. Their was a palpable anger being expressed by the people of Brazil, encouraged by the Brazilian press and law enforcement authorities. Did anyone care that Conger and Benz were released without charges?
Lochte and the remaining individual in this mess, James Feigan, were threatened with being indicted. The Brazilian authorities claimed that the Americans lied when thry claimed that they were robbed. But wait...since they didn't report the "robbery", what's the crime? Simply put, the crime was having the nerve to falsely "report" a crime, in a country when crime is a huge problem. The concern being that four American athletes reporting a crime might make people come to the conclusion that Brazil is a dangerous place. Well, it IS a dangerous place. So what actually happened? Lochte claimed that he and his friends took a cab home after a night out, and stopped temporarily to relieve themselves. On returning to the cab, they were confronted by persons dressed as police, who proceeded to rob the four young men. Lochte claimed that his wallet was taken and that a pistol was pointed directly at his head. After the robbery, the four walked back to the Olympic compound, choosing not to report the incident so as to avoid "getting in trouble".
What actually occurred? So far, the story that I can piece together is that the four young men were walking home from the disco, and stopped to use a restroom. In attempting to open the door, they broke the lock. What they thought was a restroom was actually something else, so they maneuvered behind some bushes and releived themselves. At this point, 2 security guards arrived, and in a discussion involving money (and included a local who attempted to translate), Lochte got angry and spoke back to the security guards. A weapon was pulled, and all four Americans were ordered to sit on the ground. The issue was eventually resolved with an exchange of money.
No doubt the four young men were quite intoxicated. Is it possible that they mistakenly thought that the security guards were police officers, and the exchange of money (which has been described by Brazilian authorities as payment for the broken lock) was a robbery? Lochte has apologized to a point, and we have yet to hear from the other three. Feigan was allowed to avoid indictment by taking advantage of a Brazilian law which allows persons to make a donation to a charity as opposed to facing prosecution. Of course, this clause can only be used if the alleged crime is minor.
Like most Americans, I'm very anxious to hear from the other three men. The Brazilian press will be broken-hearted to see this scandal fade away. For a week or so, the regular crime and controversy that dominate the headlines was replaced by four entitled, spoiled young Americans disrespecting the great nation of Brazil. International audiences were able to look away from green swimming pools and kayakers running into sofas, and enjoy the spectacle of humiliated Americans. It seems like humiliating Americans has been everyone's hobby for the past 8 years. I long for the day when nations thought twice before insulting Americans and the United States. I'm hoping that change is on the way.
Showing posts with label Rio de Janeiro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rio de Janeiro. Show all posts
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The Most Miserable Place Known To Me
Links A. Data On Former Soviet Republics
B. East Africa And Endemic Poverty
C. The Favelas Of Sao Paulo, Brazil
D. Child labor In Bolivia
When I chose this particular subject to write about, I was careful to limit the list of candidate-locations to places that were familiar to me. Lets be honest; anyone can make a list of shit-hole cities. I was careful in my selection. I try diligently to avoid overly long posts. If my friend Joe can't start and finish reading a post while he is on the train home from work, then its too long. Having Joe fall asleep while reading a post is also something I hope to avoid. It will be difficult for even the hardiest of people to fall asleep during this commentary.
In 1990, when the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc began to crumble, many of us in the west had no idea what to expect after a close inspection of life under communism. The image I am unable to remove from my mind's eye is row after row of ugly, gray buildings. Communism wanted everyone to have the same exact living quarters (no one should have something nicer than their neighbor), so in many former Eastern Bloc cities like Warsaw, Belgrade, and Bucharest, it is not uncommon to still see the endless rows of gray apartment buildings, although much of the old architecture has been torn down. The municipal buildings fit the same mold: bleak, gray and utilitarian. In some of the poorer nations in eastern Europe, the former municipal buildings are still in use. Attempts are made to brighten the appearance with a bit of paint and some flower boxes, but the true effect is deep and permanent. There is no cure for the "gray building disease". The patient must be euthanized at the earliest opportunity. I find much of eastern Europe depressing, even two decades after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Some cities have made tremendous progress regaining the appearance of pleasant, traditional European communities, Warsaw in particular. For the purpose of this post, I must pick one particular city that I would describe as "miserable". I choose Mitrovica, Kosovo. I see no need to deliver a history lesson. Kosovo was a province of Serbia with a predominantly Albanian population. In 1998, the province descended into civil war, eventually involving Europe and the United States. Since that time, Kosovo has declared its independence, although many of the communities with large Serbian populations are loath to break away from mother Serbia. Mitrovica is a prime example of just such a community. It is located in the north of the former province and has a population roughly evenly split between Albanians and Serbs. And the last time I checked, they hated each other with a passion. The Ibar River separates the two ethnicities, and a beautiful, new bridge was built in an attempt to foster forgiveness and economic integration. Events have not followed the intended script, as fighting between the two groups has left Mitrovica resembling a Mad Max, post-apocalyptic town, with electricity outages, garbage in the streets, and vehicles that had seen better days pre-Hitler. Some of the houses on both sides of the river (Serbs to the north, Albanians on the south) have started to deteriorate, others have already crumbled into a pile of bricks and mortar. The residents of this community stare at each other across the river with distrust and anger. I'm happy to admit that I haven't visited Mitrovica in almost a decade, so its possible that the city has come together and created one community working towards safe streets, refuse collection, functioning schools, and the creation of one central business district. But for my dollar, Mitrovica deserves to be on the list of most miserable places.
Kibera is a community just north of Nairobi, Kenya. It is a slum-like collection of informal houses, shacks, and lean-tos, with a population that varies from 100,000 to 1 million, depending on the source. Kibera is a Town Planner's nightmare, as no one really knows which neighboring, smaller communities are part of Kibera and which ones are not. Ideally, the government of Kenya would task government Town/Urban Planners to map Kibera, street by street and house by house. As many homes as possible will be left standing, but any effort to bring services to Kibera and upgrade the roads and the existing facilities will require the destruction of most shacks and shanties. Some of those shacks and shanties house families of ten or more. The effort to put Kibera on the grid, build real hospitals and schools, and create safe housing will never begin in earnest until the community itself is ready to make the necessary sacrifices. Until then, segments of Kibera will improve, one section at a time. At least its progress for some. For the majority of the residents of Kibera, life is a struggle that is impossible for most westerners to comprehend. Finding food is a daily adventure, especially when you have a family to feed. Living in large townships can be very dangerous, and anyone who has anything of value is smart to keep it out of sight. Sanitation is basically non-existent, although water is available from pipes that have been laid by the city. My memory of Kibera is of a place that is full of children. And interestingly enough, they were always laughing and playing soccer. The Kenyan government has good intentions regarding Kibera, but it will take a tremendous infusion of state resources, and the complete cooperation of the people of Kibera, to remold this community into a safe, recognizable suburb.
The favelas of Sao Paulo have received a great deal of press in recent years, although the gangs of children that seem to interest most people, have been around for decades. Favelas share many of the usual characteristics of large, urban slums. The people are the poorest of the poor, most of the housing is informal, economic activity comes in all shapes and sizes, drugs are prevalent, and every day is a struggle for survival. One factor which separates the favelas from many of the other famous slums of the world, is the presence of the gangs of children. We aren't referring to groups of kids playing soccer or stealing the odd candy from the neighborhood store. The slums of Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro are inhabited by gangs of kids under the age of ten. Many of them are addicted to glue sniffing, or if they can get it, crack and heroin. They are often armed and terrorize otherwise peaceful residents of the favela. A few years ago, a scandal erupted in Brazil as it was disclosed that the police were targeting the gangs "off the record". These young kids were often armed and exhibited no fear of authority, possibly a result of being hyped-up on booze, glue and whatever else they could access. A policeman is shot here and there, and the cops feel the justification to eradicate this problem. While the targeting was in effect, no one complained. Everyone had been a victim of the gangs at one time or another, and they were seen as nothing more than a virus. The young kids, without parents probably since birth, living on the streets, dealing with underage prostitution and pedophiles, turned to each other because no one cared. And they learned how to make hunger go away by watching the shake-downs of organized crime. They formed gangs, stole weapons, and took to the streets. Some estimate that in the favelas of Sao Paulo there are at least 100,000 abandoned kids trying to find a daily meal. What a tragedy that adults act indignant when a child choses the easiest method of survival. In the favelas of Brazil, being miserable isn't an emotion, its a condition.
The last place on my list is Potosi, Bolivia, which is home to Cerro Rico, of Hill of Riches. Since the 16th century, miners have labored inside of Cerro Rico, extracting silver. The neighboring town of Potosi used to be nothing more than a small market village, but it has become a city full of the young boys and old men who venture everyday into Cerro Rico for work. Notice I didn't mention men of average age. That's because in Potosi, the men appear either very young, or middle aged. That is a result of spending upwards of 18 hours a day inside of the mountain. Laws supposedly limit the age of workers to sixteen years of age, but the reality is that boy as young as ten are working in the mine. In fact, child labor seems to be all the rage in Bolivia. I thought the latest ethnically indigenous America-hating Socialist was going to fix everything. Seems to me things have only deteriorated. But I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to these sandal-wearing pretend-farmers who managed to get themselves elected president of South American countries by blaming everything from the weather to the boil on someone's ass on the evil "Yanquis". But the fact that children are digging around in Cerro Rico, creating more wealth for rich hedge funds who have invested in the various mines that dot the landscape, is enough to make me go postal. I'm not socialist, but I can't help but wonder, just how much money do some people need? And that goes for you out in Hollywood as well, and all the athletes in the U.S. and Europe, who make more in salary and endorsements than the GDP of some countries, just for kicking around a soccer ball. Potosi is a miserable place, and thank goodness I was just passing through. The kids that work in the mines, and the ones who are shining shoes or sleeping with truck driver's in La Paz bordellos, never get to experience the joys of childhood. The kids who work in the mines get up when its dark, and they come home when its dark. Inside the mine it is dark as well, and the eyesight of these young people suffers from this unnatural existence in almost total darkness. I might not be so opposed to these kids working to help support their families, or to save money for college, if they were receiving a decent salary for their efforts. Unfortunately, they will destroy their bodies and consign themselves to blindness at an early age, for just enough money to feed the family. The name of Cerro Rico should be changed to Cerro Miserable.
I realize that some of my readers expected to find a commentary on actual geographic locations and how people struggle because of where they live. it was my intention to write this post along those guidelines. But then it took on a life of its own. I am horrified by the lives children are obliged to lead in our society, circa 2014. When it comes to this issue, I only wish I could find a reason to be optimistic.
B. East Africa And Endemic Poverty
C. The Favelas Of Sao Paulo, Brazil
D. Child labor In Bolivia
When I chose this particular subject to write about, I was careful to limit the list of candidate-locations to places that were familiar to me. Lets be honest; anyone can make a list of shit-hole cities. I was careful in my selection. I try diligently to avoid overly long posts. If my friend Joe can't start and finish reading a post while he is on the train home from work, then its too long. Having Joe fall asleep while reading a post is also something I hope to avoid. It will be difficult for even the hardiest of people to fall asleep during this commentary.
In 1990, when the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc began to crumble, many of us in the west had no idea what to expect after a close inspection of life under communism. The image I am unable to remove from my mind's eye is row after row of ugly, gray buildings. Communism wanted everyone to have the same exact living quarters (no one should have something nicer than their neighbor), so in many former Eastern Bloc cities like Warsaw, Belgrade, and Bucharest, it is not uncommon to still see the endless rows of gray apartment buildings, although much of the old architecture has been torn down. The municipal buildings fit the same mold: bleak, gray and utilitarian. In some of the poorer nations in eastern Europe, the former municipal buildings are still in use. Attempts are made to brighten the appearance with a bit of paint and some flower boxes, but the true effect is deep and permanent. There is no cure for the "gray building disease". The patient must be euthanized at the earliest opportunity. I find much of eastern Europe depressing, even two decades after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Some cities have made tremendous progress regaining the appearance of pleasant, traditional European communities, Warsaw in particular. For the purpose of this post, I must pick one particular city that I would describe as "miserable". I choose Mitrovica, Kosovo. I see no need to deliver a history lesson. Kosovo was a province of Serbia with a predominantly Albanian population. In 1998, the province descended into civil war, eventually involving Europe and the United States. Since that time, Kosovo has declared its independence, although many of the communities with large Serbian populations are loath to break away from mother Serbia. Mitrovica is a prime example of just such a community. It is located in the north of the former province and has a population roughly evenly split between Albanians and Serbs. And the last time I checked, they hated each other with a passion. The Ibar River separates the two ethnicities, and a beautiful, new bridge was built in an attempt to foster forgiveness and economic integration. Events have not followed the intended script, as fighting between the two groups has left Mitrovica resembling a Mad Max, post-apocalyptic town, with electricity outages, garbage in the streets, and vehicles that had seen better days pre-Hitler. Some of the houses on both sides of the river (Serbs to the north, Albanians on the south) have started to deteriorate, others have already crumbled into a pile of bricks and mortar. The residents of this community stare at each other across the river with distrust and anger. I'm happy to admit that I haven't visited Mitrovica in almost a decade, so its possible that the city has come together and created one community working towards safe streets, refuse collection, functioning schools, and the creation of one central business district. But for my dollar, Mitrovica deserves to be on the list of most miserable places.
Kibera is a community just north of Nairobi, Kenya. It is a slum-like collection of informal houses, shacks, and lean-tos, with a population that varies from 100,000 to 1 million, depending on the source. Kibera is a Town Planner's nightmare, as no one really knows which neighboring, smaller communities are part of Kibera and which ones are not. Ideally, the government of Kenya would task government Town/Urban Planners to map Kibera, street by street and house by house. As many homes as possible will be left standing, but any effort to bring services to Kibera and upgrade the roads and the existing facilities will require the destruction of most shacks and shanties. Some of those shacks and shanties house families of ten or more. The effort to put Kibera on the grid, build real hospitals and schools, and create safe housing will never begin in earnest until the community itself is ready to make the necessary sacrifices. Until then, segments of Kibera will improve, one section at a time. At least its progress for some. For the majority of the residents of Kibera, life is a struggle that is impossible for most westerners to comprehend. Finding food is a daily adventure, especially when you have a family to feed. Living in large townships can be very dangerous, and anyone who has anything of value is smart to keep it out of sight. Sanitation is basically non-existent, although water is available from pipes that have been laid by the city. My memory of Kibera is of a place that is full of children. And interestingly enough, they were always laughing and playing soccer. The Kenyan government has good intentions regarding Kibera, but it will take a tremendous infusion of state resources, and the complete cooperation of the people of Kibera, to remold this community into a safe, recognizable suburb.
The favelas of Sao Paulo have received a great deal of press in recent years, although the gangs of children that seem to interest most people, have been around for decades. Favelas share many of the usual characteristics of large, urban slums. The people are the poorest of the poor, most of the housing is informal, economic activity comes in all shapes and sizes, drugs are prevalent, and every day is a struggle for survival. One factor which separates the favelas from many of the other famous slums of the world, is the presence of the gangs of children. We aren't referring to groups of kids playing soccer or stealing the odd candy from the neighborhood store. The slums of Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro are inhabited by gangs of kids under the age of ten. Many of them are addicted to glue sniffing, or if they can get it, crack and heroin. They are often armed and terrorize otherwise peaceful residents of the favela. A few years ago, a scandal erupted in Brazil as it was disclosed that the police were targeting the gangs "off the record". These young kids were often armed and exhibited no fear of authority, possibly a result of being hyped-up on booze, glue and whatever else they could access. A policeman is shot here and there, and the cops feel the justification to eradicate this problem. While the targeting was in effect, no one complained. Everyone had been a victim of the gangs at one time or another, and they were seen as nothing more than a virus. The young kids, without parents probably since birth, living on the streets, dealing with underage prostitution and pedophiles, turned to each other because no one cared. And they learned how to make hunger go away by watching the shake-downs of organized crime. They formed gangs, stole weapons, and took to the streets. Some estimate that in the favelas of Sao Paulo there are at least 100,000 abandoned kids trying to find a daily meal. What a tragedy that adults act indignant when a child choses the easiest method of survival. In the favelas of Brazil, being miserable isn't an emotion, its a condition.
The last place on my list is Potosi, Bolivia, which is home to Cerro Rico, of Hill of Riches. Since the 16th century, miners have labored inside of Cerro Rico, extracting silver. The neighboring town of Potosi used to be nothing more than a small market village, but it has become a city full of the young boys and old men who venture everyday into Cerro Rico for work. Notice I didn't mention men of average age. That's because in Potosi, the men appear either very young, or middle aged. That is a result of spending upwards of 18 hours a day inside of the mountain. Laws supposedly limit the age of workers to sixteen years of age, but the reality is that boy as young as ten are working in the mine. In fact, child labor seems to be all the rage in Bolivia. I thought the latest ethnically indigenous America-hating Socialist was going to fix everything. Seems to me things have only deteriorated. But I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to these sandal-wearing pretend-farmers who managed to get themselves elected president of South American countries by blaming everything from the weather to the boil on someone's ass on the evil "Yanquis". But the fact that children are digging around in Cerro Rico, creating more wealth for rich hedge funds who have invested in the various mines that dot the landscape, is enough to make me go postal. I'm not socialist, but I can't help but wonder, just how much money do some people need? And that goes for you out in Hollywood as well, and all the athletes in the U.S. and Europe, who make more in salary and endorsements than the GDP of some countries, just for kicking around a soccer ball. Potosi is a miserable place, and thank goodness I was just passing through. The kids that work in the mines, and the ones who are shining shoes or sleeping with truck driver's in La Paz bordellos, never get to experience the joys of childhood. The kids who work in the mines get up when its dark, and they come home when its dark. Inside the mine it is dark as well, and the eyesight of these young people suffers from this unnatural existence in almost total darkness. I might not be so opposed to these kids working to help support their families, or to save money for college, if they were receiving a decent salary for their efforts. Unfortunately, they will destroy their bodies and consign themselves to blindness at an early age, for just enough money to feed the family. The name of Cerro Rico should be changed to Cerro Miserable.
I realize that some of my readers expected to find a commentary on actual geographic locations and how people struggle because of where they live. it was my intention to write this post along those guidelines. But then it took on a life of its own. I am horrified by the lives children are obliged to lead in our society, circa 2014. When it comes to this issue, I only wish I could find a reason to be optimistic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)