February 15th, 2010

Thoughts on American World Domination

The USA is currently leading in the medal count at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, with 8, although the Swiss have the most golds, at 3.  My adopted homeland of the Czech Republic has 1 gold and one bronze.  I’m quite proud of that last fact.

The Czech Republic only has a population of 10 million.  That is 1/30^th the size of the U.S.  Yet, in sports, we are competitive.

I’m embarrassed when I hear American fans chanting USA! USA!  If this were done in a friendly, sporting manner it would not be so bad.  But it’s not.  You can hear it in their voices.  I remember, many years ago, when the world soccer championship was in Los Angeles.  A couple of friends and I went out to see the party on the night of the final.  I believe it was Brazil v. Italy.  It was a rare night, the chance to see massive numbers of foreigners out in the streets partying, singing songs and chanting chants in support of their country.  My friend started chanting USA! USA! and looking as if he thought he was being very clever.  What  a dick, I thought.  It’s like a fish chanting “Water!  Water!”  It’s like being invited to a friend’s house and talking about how much bigger yours is.

On an Olympic level, the worst example I think I’ve ever seen of poor sportsmanship was when the American basketball team – the so called Dream Team – was criticized for staying in a 5 star hotel instead of at the Olympic Village.  One of the players said “We’re not here to make friends.  We’re here to win basketball games.”  I felt that that team should have been recalled immediately, with a sharp rebuke.  The whole idea of the Olympic games is to make friends.  It is a celebration of peace.  It is friendly competition as a substitute for war.  That’s the history.  That’s the tradition.

But I think I was the only one who felt that way.  The American public reveled in their victories just as if they weren’t a bunch of NBA all-stars playing against a bunch of amateurs in the easiest games any of them had had since high school.

It’s not just in sports that the U.S. dominates, of course.  I live in Europe, but most of the films I see are American made and the Internet from which I get my news is totally Amerocentric.  That could be changing.  The U.S. is loosing its economic dominance and cultural dominance will probably not be far behind.  I’m looking forward to that day.

Meanwhile, I will continue to watch the Olympics and cheer for my two favorite teams:  the Czech Republic and whoever is competing against the U.S.