2022-06-09
50 分钟In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-backed golf league that’s challenging the P.G.A. Tour. Can a sporting event really repair a country’s reputation — or will it trigger the dreaded Streisand Effect?
Hi, this is Victor Matheson.
I'm a professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross.
When I say the word sportswashing, you say what?
So that's a pretty new term.
Basically, it means using some sort of sporting event to try to cover over any problems a country has had in the past.
And how is that different from any sort of reputation laundering?
Let's say I'm Andrew Carnegie, and I know a lot of people think I've been a brutal capitalist.
So I decide to open libraries in many, many, many places around the country.
Or Leland Stanford, the robber baron, decide to open what would become one of the most esteemed universities in the world.
Is this any different, really?
It's not much different.
The idea of using politics to curry favor is centuries old.
I actually think all the way back to ancient Rome, and I think to this famous poet, Juvenal.
And he coins the term bread and circuses.
And the term bread and circuses refers to this.
If a government can at least provide enough food to make their citizens survive, that's the bread part.
And enough circuses, things like gladiatorial contests and chariot racing, if they can provide those, they can distract the populace from any other failings of the government.
Okay, getting back to today, what are some good, pure examples of sports?
Washington.
We've had countries like Russia very active in mega events like the World cup and the Olympics.