Zika, the 2016 Olympics and Misguided Logic
Doctors from the World Health Organization and other agencies have recommended that the 2016 Olympics in Brazil be either moved or postponed. This recommendation has generated a firestorm of controversy, and criticisms illustrate how misguided officials are with respect to placing profits ahead of public health. It’s logic like this that is causing modern society to continue to push boundaries and set the world on a collision course to disaster.
Money Matters
Brazil’s is in tatters, both politically and economically, and the Olympics are seen as an opportunity to steer the country in a new direction. The billions of dollars that have been invested to create the facilities for the games, along with the tens of billions of dollars expected from the generation of revenue makes losing the games an unfathomable proposition. This possibility is something that officials have been very honest about dismissing for the sake of the financial losses that will be incurred.
However, it also illustrates how the desire to reap huge profits from the games overshadows the possibility of being able to curb a public health threat that can sweep the globe. Imagine all of those people who come to Brazil, get infected and then bring the Zika virus back to their home countries. Men who are infected can be asymptomatic and transmit the virus through sexual contact back home. We all know how the Zika virus leads to birth defects. We all know that very little is understood about other health problems associated with exposure. We know that governments around the world are warning pregnant women to avoid areas where Zika is prevalent.
In light of these realities, a prudent course of action would be to minimize the risk of creating a global pandemic. However, the opposite is true, and officials are trying to fight tooth and nail to prevent the Olympics from being disrupted. Even the Centers for Disease Control has chimed in and their advice is laughable. Officials are telling people to use condoms when having sex in Brazil and after they return. No mention is given to the potential ramifications of hordes of people bringing the Zika virus back home. This line of thinking places our population at risk, especially since we know very little about the long-term impact that the Zika virus can have on public health.
A Sign of the Times
We are headed for some sort of catastrophe, whether it’s a SHTF scenario, pandemic, economic collapse or government takeover. No matter how we slice and dice the possibilities, something will happen. That inherent risk is magnified by the decisions that people in power make, and the Olympics in Brazil is a perfect example. We’re tempting fate, almost inviting disaster, by choosing to allow instead of mitigating risks. Unfortunately, sooner or later our luck will run out, and then people in power will start playing the blame game.
It’s bad enough that we’re ill-equipped to handle disasters that are beyond our control. To invite disaster and not be equipped to deal with the consequences is unfathomable. However, it seems that an international sporting competition that lasts only a few weeks is more important than protecting the lives of millions of people.
Who knows whether these warnings by doctors will be heeded or ignored at the end of the day. However, just the fact that the world is even having this conversation should serve as a wake-up call for all of us. Do what you can to maintain a high-level of preparedness and get as self-sufficient as possible. There will come a day that we will need to alter our lives due to the poor choices that people in power make, and it may come sooner than you may think.
