Why The USA Should be Banned from the Olympics
Photo Credits: Bryan Turner
The Olympic Games are a symbol of peace and unity, so their decision to ban Russia following the military invasion of Ukraine citing “The IOC’s position is clear: We condemned the war from the first day” makes sense, right? I want to be clear though; I do not support Russia’s war crimes and I agree that their invitation to the 2024 Olympics should be suspended. But the international expectations for peace and unity to compete in the Olympics should be a held standard of all countries competing.
Russia has recently been banned from the Olympics following their human rights violation, bombing of civilians, and war crimes ranging from targeting hospitals and schools to torturing prisoners of war. The United States has been accused of similar war crimes and human rights violations during Obama’s Presidency, the Afghanistan war, and the Iraq war. Despite the United Sates involvement in various wars and conflicts, the Olympics have never banned the US from competing. In 2016, the United Sates dropped 26,171 bombs meaning every day the US military dropped 72 bombs or 3 bombs every hour a day, resulting in 3,977 causalities caused by US-led airstrikes. We still competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Between 2003-2011, Iraqi detainees credibly alleged a litany of abuse in detention centers from sleep deprivation, forced nudity, deprivation of food and water, mock executions, and threats of rape. The United States has never even been brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its war crimes, despite multiple credible allegations.
Video Credits: Democracy Now
Cluster munitions is an explosive that releases small submunitions that leave behind landmines that are active for years. During the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has used cluster munitions to cause both immediate and long-term harm to civilians. But in retaliation, Ukraine started using cluster munitions, supplied by the United States, resulting in an estimated 97 Russian civilian casualties from cluster munitions. The United States faced criticism from Amnesty International saying “any decision enabling the broader use of cluster bombs in this war will likely lead to one predictable outcome: the further death of civilians.” During the war in Afghanistan the United States considered the use of cluster bombs “a valuable part of their Afghan arsenal” leaving 248,056 landmines in the first six months of the war. The IOC has not criticized the United States for supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine or the usage of cluster munitions during the Afghanistan war.
According to Macron in an interview with France 24, “There is no place for Russia as a country at a time when it has committed war crimes, when it has deported children.” If there is no place for Russia after committing war crimes, should there be a place for the United States as well? The IOC claims to be apolitical, but its silence in the face of previous injustices suggests that it is complicit with the oppressors.
