The Weight of the Flag
Once in awhile, the AP gets it right
Buried in another AP story about the US “Ugly American” Olympic scandal, the AP inadvertently deployed a powerful metaphor:
Phelps carried the flag into the opening of what he says will be his final games, and now the bearer role — as well as maybe the role of being the face of the U.S. Olympic team — belongs to Biles.
“It’s a huge honor,” said the 4-foot-8 Biles, though she noted she’s a bit worried about handling the weight of the flag.
Yes, the US flag is quite heavy – it’s loaded with baggage – 400 years worth:
Mexico City: Tommie Smith and John Carlos protest in 1968 on the podium
What explains the current lack of visible Black Lives Matter protests?
I only watched a few games of US women’s soccer – did I just miss it?
Corporate endorsements?
That seems to be the biggest problem US media found with Lochte’s lie – that he would lose millions in corporate endorsements.
Oh, how far we’ve fallen into the Neoliberal culture of me, my, mine corporate values.