Olympics, pandemic and politics: There's no separating them

 At least there is some chance that he can claim the games to be a success — just by doing it — and saturating the media with pride and glory might help him turn the negative opinion around.”

very unlikely.

 The IOC is also beyond the reach of any oversight agency, including the governments of host countries. It can violate a country’s human rights protections with immunity, including athletes’ right to access domestic courts of law.”

This should give pause to any country or city thinking about hosting the games in the future. With rules like this, it would be clinically insane to want to become a host city.

Based on what I am hearing, people within the government have been given their instructions to make the Games happen, and that is their singular focus right now — for better or for worse.

Its going to be for worse. They should have cancelled it.

“The IOC is an elitist club that garners support from other elites and people — and countries — that aspire to joining the elite.

an elitist club ? more like a cult.

Politically, the opposition is so weak, the government can do pretty much anything it wants. Although a disastrous Olympics would damage the LDP’s credibility, the party likely feels safe because a majority of the public doubts the capability of the opposition to govern.

And that is the problem right there. There is no one to hold the LDP's feet to the fire. Therefore, people should vote them out if for the only reason for sending them a message that Japan is not their toy to do with what they please. Plus the public doubts the opposition's capability to govern? Its not like the LDP has shown theirs.

You notice how nobody seems to be in charge. You have all these different entities: the Tokyo organizing committee; the Japanese Olympic Committee; the prime minister’s office; the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike; the Japan Sports Agency; the Foreign Ministry; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Suga is asked in the Diet (Japanese parliament) about canceling the games and says it’s not his responsibility. Nobody wants to lose face."

Exactly. Its a clown car.

If it turns out there is a surge in coronavirus patients and it becomes a catastrophe, that’s not the responsibility of the IOC. It’s the Japanese government that will be stuck with the responsibility.”

Yeah. Suga will bow, resign and get a nice severance and retirement package- and then watch Abe parachute back in.