Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Bread crumbs and you can't come to the Circus

Much is made of the old bromide "Bread and Circuses" as how elite of ancient Rome ("the I percent") placated the masses by giving them free grain and sporting events to make them forget the stratified social order.

True or not, times have certainly changed.

Brazil, home of the 2014 FIFA World Cup has the modern adaptation of that rule.

According to estimates from the federal government, the World Cup will cost the public treasury somewhere around 26 billion reais ($11.6 billion). 
Oh they'll get the stadiums built...but not much other promises will be kept.

So not much for bread.

How about those circuses?
The cheapest World Cup final ticket will cost the average Brazilian 25 hours of work


The circus is for other people.

Although FIFA the organization makes out well, hoovering up as much as they can out of Brazil as they can.   What they cannot carry, they'll leave for the International Olympic Committee in 2016.

And that's the unkindest Brazilian of them all.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

4 comments:

kingweasil said...

ticket prices may seem exorbitant,but you may be lucky enough to see refs punched or beaten,a stand melee,a stampede,a riot,tear gas or petrol bombs,maybe someone crushed to death,or w/a good crowd the police or military shooting into the stands.bring on the games!

pansypoo said...

butbutbut the prestige! you can eat it. right?

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