Thursday, September 5, 2013

Experts uncertain about Tokyo bid | The Japan Times

Experts uncertain about Tokyo bid | The Japan Times

The outlook for Tokyo as host of the 2020 Olympics is not so sunny at the moment.  Tokyo seemed to be the front-runner over the summer but with the Fukushima nuclear disaster continuing like a drunk uncle determined to ruin a family reunion it seems the International Olympic Committee will favor staying elsewhere for the next sports holidays.

I'm covering my own concerns with a bit of glibness (this is my way), but this whole Fukushima mess is a worry.  Watching the initial accident from the US, I felt our media took an alarmist view.  I'd have to go back and watch video to decide now if I was wrong then.  But as we've all learned since, the situation was and remains a lot worse than the power company and government let on.  I'm not too surprised at how this information has been a slow leak itself.  I don't blame Japan as an entity for this.  This isn't unique.  This is how officials do things just about everywhere.  There are many reasons and a few of them are even nice ones, but the end result is always the same.

The three choices this time all feature their drawbacks, but a civil war next door or radiation leaking into the sea both seem insurmountable.  So my guess is Madrid, the one with mostly economic troubles, will host the games this time.

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