The Sochi Olympics are a prime example of celebration capitalism: an exorbitant, nationalism-boosting affair that allows participant countries to distract from economic inequality and civil rights abuses at home. In this panel at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Nation sports editor Dave Zirin joins 2006 Olympic luge competitor Samantha Retrosi and Jules Boykoff, a politics professor at the Pacific University of Oregon, to discuss the profound political implications of the Olympic Games. Citing severe environmental degredation, harsh crackdowns against activists, and the installment of a sweeping surveillance system, Zirin refers to this year’s event as an “unreal clusterfuck of injustice.”
—Allegra Kirkland
Editorial note: Dave Zirin’s comments start at 12:22.
