IOC Strikes Again

Around the world, there is no small amount of grumbling about the way that the ruling Chinese Communist Party treats its citizens, especially residents of Hong Kong who keep making unreasonable demands like being allowed to say what they want. Also annoying is the way that the Uygher people would like to not be wiped out and they keep saying so when they get the chance.

In a better world, these kinds of actions would make the International Olympic Committee deny any bids by the CCP to host the Olympic Games. In our world it means that the Winter Games will be held in Beijing in February 2022. In a slightly improved world the IOC would rescind the hosting offer as more and more human rights abuses come to light. In our world the IOC will let itself be bought off by China's offer to to provide its COVID-19 vaccine to all athletes competing in the rescheduled Summer Games in Tokyo this summer.

Left unresolved is how many of the visiting athletes will want to be jabbed by something made by the same nation whose role in the early spread of the virus remains shrouded in silence and denial. Even if everything about the initial release and contagion of SARS CoV-2 was merely accidental, might athletes wonder whether the vaccine offered by the Chinese government might also put them off their best game just a wee bit? Or contain products that might not pass muster on a drug test for banned substances and performance enhancers?

The IOC isn't asking those questions, of course. Wouldn't want to break a perfect record of obliviousness to its more horrible national participants and hosts.