Olympic Games/Strikes

Something I thought was interesting at the museums we visited recently was learning about how the Olympic Games in Barcelona were very beneficial to the city, as the stadiums are still in use and continue to bring revenue to the city. In contrast, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio led to abandoned stadiums and significant harm to the people in the surrounding area, as most of them were displaced due to the needed size of the stadiums and housing for athletes. This makes me think about those that have been displaced due to job strikes that were specifically mentioned in the readings for this week. I think it is interesting that history always finds ways to repeat itself; for example, countries like France and Spain both have uprisings in common as people that are oppressed in some way for so long are unable to bear their circumstances, so they revolt or strike, which I find interesting because it is always the result. I wonder if people strike because they have seen past successful strikes or revolts, or if it is a natural human reaction to being oppressed for so long. During our Zoom discussion this week, I had mentioned how strikes can be an effective way of bringing attention to the wrongdoings of the people in power. However, after learning more about strikes, they are not always effective in making changes. I also find it interesting that the people in power can acknowledge their wrongdoings yet still do not make a change. For example, one of the worker strikes mentioned in the reading resulted in the factory company hiring new employees, which resulted in those who participated in the strike losing their jobs. Furthermore, circling back to the Olympic Games, in a way the effects are synonymous with gentrification, as locals who have been living in the area for decades are displaced due to the games being held. This also ties in with the Paris Olympic Games this summer, as we saw the firsthand effects of holding a large event in a city that is not known for having large plains of open space. Just imagine how many buildings had to be removed just for the Olympic committee to build stadiums.