Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Razing Rio
Compared to the slum evictions and police harassment in the lead-up to the Vancouver Olympics, the systematic executions in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro in preparation for the 2012 World Cup and 2016 Olympics are in another league altogether. But the modern Olympics -- no matter where -- are always about windfalls for developers and politicians benefiting from urban redevelopment associated with spectacular sporting events. Creating mass homelessness and destroying communities is simply capitalistic collateral damage.
