Cancel this year's olympics?

[Bathory]

Sorry Brazil but I'd move em or cancel em until they figure out Zika. I know it's not ebola level, but you still have an international community coming in from all corners of the earth, staying, having a high risk of infection then going back to their resident country. Even IF they mosquito bomb the entire city, sexual transmission is possible. Seems like an unnecessary risk tbh.

[Tierbook]

When do they start anyway? 2 months from now?

Also as far as most corrupt organization goes I'd say FIFA is giving the IOC a run for it's money with Qatar getting a world cup.

[Deleted]

Here's tomo news take on it.

[Nerdgasm]

As a brazillian I think the worst threat to outsiders is the Zika epidemy. Bad idea to have people all around the world in the same place during an epidemy.

I don't expect to see rampant violence, police presence will probably be massive and the organized crime will stay low so they can profit from all those yummy 3,40BRL dollars. But take good care of your stuff. Always.

Protests will hardly be any problem.

For us, well... Massive spending, corruption, realocation of the police force and useless facilities that will never be used again and will decay soon after the Olympics end.

[Atrea]

Brazil is not a third world country. That shit isn't even used anymore. It's one of the much more advance developing countries. The diversity in wealth there is insane, you have people living in mass shanty towns and 2 miles away people flying 2 blocks by helicopter to meetings because the traffic is too much.

It's actually a very sad state of affairs considering Brazil is a top 10 country by GDP.

What if I told you that "third world" had literally nothing to do with money, and everything to do with a nation's relationship with the United States or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

But Brazil was, in fact, a third world country. So was Ireland, for that matter.
Has nothing to do with how nice of a country it is.

[Melkandor]

Uh.

What several other factors? Scary brown people?

It's becoming apparent with each of your posts that you really like to keep your head deep in the sand.
OT: Zika, the president of Brazil just got suspended because she's going to trial for impeachment, and the already terrible conditions of the city the games are being hosted in. Who wants to go watch the Olympics in Brazil when you can watch it from home and not get Zika, if you live long enough to not get mugged, shot, & killed right in the host city that is

[In Ogres We Trust]

First third world is an extremely out dated term, and second Brazil is hardly a developing country. If anything it would be a "second world country".

There's nothing Second World about Brazil. It's a Third World nation-state with a Third World population.

- - - Updated - - -

So you criticize others' usage of the term "third world", and then go on to demonstrate that you too have no idea what it (or "second world", for that matter) means?

Bravo.



So no, Brazil is not an ally of the Soviet Union/China/Cuba (at least, not in the confrontational versus the first world sense.)

In fact:



(Key - Blue: First World, Red: Second World, Green: Third World)

It looks like Brazil really IS a third world country (or at least, was, when such terms actually had meaning.)

That's an outdated map, and to be frank, I don't why you're even using something that has South Africa and Zimbabwe listed as First World nations (not to mention that it has Argentina and Uruguay as Third World nations). At the moment, most political scientists have dropped the Third World concept for a Fourth World concept. Regardless, excluding the southern portions of Brazil, the country straddles the line between Second and Third (depending upon the location).

- - - Updated - - -

What if I told you that "third world" had literally nothing to do with money, and everything to do with a nation's relationship with the United States or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

But Brazil was, in fact, a third world country. So was Ireland, for that matter.
Has nothing to do with how nice of a country it is.

That no longer applies.

- - - Updated - - -

Brazil is not a third world country. That shit isn't even used anymore. It's one of the much more advance developing countries. The diversity in wealth there is insane, you have people living in mass shanty towns and 2 miles away people flying 2 blocks by helicopter to meetings because the traffic is too much.

It's actually a very sad state of affairs considering Brazil is a top 10 country by GDP.

In actuality, it is. In fact, there are several posters referring to it within this thread (with an outdated model, but it's still in use worldwide).

P.S. Anyways, I don't know enough about the situation on the ground in Brazil, so to be frank, it's up to the IOC and the Brazilian/Rio governments. Regardless, it was a mistake to hold them there, and at least in my opinion, it's a mistake to even have the Olympics, regardless of their location.

[Atrea]

That's an outdated map, and to be frank, I don't why you're even using something that has South Africa and Zimbabwe listed as First World nations (not to mention that it has Argentina and Uruguay as Third World nations). At the moment, most political scientists have dropped the Third World concept for a Fourth World concept. Regardless, excluding the southern portions of Brazil, the country straddles the line between Second and Third (depending upon the location).

For starters; the map is current as of 2014. If you can find me a more recent one, I would be happy to use it instead.

South Africa and Zimbabwe were both British-aligned colonies, and thus by definition, were first world nations.
While most third world nations were poor (as more prosperous nations tended to be coaxed to join with either side), there are many third world nations who were and still are quite prosperous. Austria, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, for example, are all third world countries, yet these nations boast a higher standard of living than many first world countries, including the United States.

That no longer applies.

I believe you may be confusing two different concepts. Not an entirely difficult mistake for the layperson to make, but you are still incorrect regardless.

What you're referencing in this quote (and the one above it), is Mao Zedong's "three worlds theory"; a loose extension of Marxist-Leninist theory. In it, first world nations are considered 'superpowers', second world nations represent lesser powers, and third world nations are 'the exploited'. (Think along the lines of the proletariat, as described in the Communist Manifesto.) "Fourth world" is not a term typically used by social scientists, but instead, was a coin termed by aboriginal leaders to describe the unique aspects of their cultures 'separate status' within first world nations.

Nevertheless, the two theories, while sharing similar terms, are not interchangeable, and the "three worlds theory" was never utilized in the West, where the traditional "three-world model" (the one I referenced in my above post) is still considered correct.

Of course, colloquial usage may vary from person to person, but your usage is no more correct than when someone says "I could care less": its meaning is understood, but it is in fact incorrect and does not mean what people often think it means.

[Burgerberg]

(Key - Blue: First World, Red: Second World, Green: Third World)

It looks like Brazil really IS a third world country (or at least, was, when such terms actually had meaning.)

Where did you get this map from? The Philippines is NOT a first world country. Not even close.

Since when were PNG and East Timor first world countries too? Singapore is one of the most socially and economically advanced Asian countries, yet that map lists it as a 3rd world country?

Your map is wrong.

[Katie N]

Why cancel it?

[caervek]

Bah, voted No when I meant to vote Yes :P

[Deleted]

Everything going on in Brazil right now is just regular order of business there.

They shouldn't have given it to them in the first place and the Brazilian government must have had better things to spend the billions on.

[Slant]

Yes it should be cancelled. Hopefully it would teach the idiots on the Olympic committee a lesson. It is going to be a horrible embarrassment.

Letting third world countries host the Olympics is honestly the most stupid thing I've ever seen. Especially when prepared host cities like Tokyo go through a ton of measures to make the Olympics as good as possible. It is just ridiculous.

Things like Olympics and FIFA WC are considered to be huge economical boosts if you handle them correctly. Sadly, you're probably right, those third world countries aren't able to properly exploit that potential. Instead, they dump a lot of money on infrastructure that'll be wasted after the event.

[caervek]

Where did you get this map from? The Philippines is NOT a first world country. Not even close.

Basically, the 1st/2nd/3rd world countries thing dates back to the cold war, 1st world referred to the capitalist bloc (USA and friends), 2nd world referred to Soviet-bloc and China, and 3rd world referred to un-affiliated countries. As most 3rd world countries were in Africa or Central America many people confused the term with economic status instead of political association.

These days the terms developed nations/developing nations is mostly used instead as it's more reflective of reality than the 1st/2nd/3rd world political map, for reasons you have highlighted.

[PaladinBash]

No but again I question Brazil winning the venue.

[Deleted]

If they don't cancel/move it I'm hoping that people (athletes and visitors) will literally die there, so it may get at least stopped halfway.
Anyways which is more corrupt, the IOC or FIFA?

[Tyrianth]

So you criticize others' usage of the term "third world", and then go on to demonstrate that you too have no idea what it (or "second world", for that matter) means?

Bravo.



So no, Brazil is not an ally of the Soviet Union/China/Cuba (at least, not in the confrontational versus the first world sense.)

In fact:



(Key - Blue: First World, Red: Second World, Green: Third World)

It looks like Brazil really IS a third world country (or at least, was, when such terms actually had meaning.)

Hence the use of quotes... I'm quite aware of the first, second, third world model used during the cold war. He was not using third world in that sense. He was the modern day definition of third world to mean developing country. Context is key, kid.

[Blobfish]

Just shows how Bad a Socialist Government can be - re Brazil
and a Female Socialist leader..(Watch out USA).

Look at Venezuela..a Basket case Socialist Regime

Cancel them..Sydney Australia can hold them at the last minute with a few Months notice

"IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch declared at the Closing Ceremony at the Sydney Australia 2000 Olympics

"I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever."

[Deleted]

LOL, at Switzerland (richest country in the world) being listed as 3rd world.

The correct terms for what this map supposedly means is West-aligned, East-aligned, Non-aligned. But even with that in mind, the map is wrong, Iran wasn't West-aligned. Iraq was.

Also, what's up with trying to claim Brazil can't host this when they successfully hosted the world's most important sport's event (World Cup 2014).

[Morgaith]

I wouldn't go to brazil if i was paid 1 million dollars, have you seen the shit that is going on there?