ANOTHER GREAT VICTORY FOR SPORT – AT 9:44 A.M. ET:  That great democracy, Communist China, has snagged another Olympics.  From CBS: 

KUALA LUMPUR -- The International Olympic Committee voted Friday to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, were the only two cities on the ballot when IOC members cast their votes Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The vote was delayed by technical problems involving the electronic voting system, which prompted officials to nix the first attempt and call for a second vote by paper ballot.

After the second vote, IOC President Thomas Bach said the host city had been elected, but he waited to make the announcement at a ceremony later in the day.

Winning the bid will make Beijing the first city to host both a winter and summer games.

Almaty had hoped to bring the games to Central Asia for the first time.

COMMENT:  I love the Olympics, but the international Olympic movement has always been shady, reflecting the corruption of the international system generally.  Couldn't they find a democratic nation in which to celebrate young athletes?  The Olympic movement has never cared much for such niceties.

We'll love the games and ignore the venue.

July 31,  2015