In Reply to: In 1968, the only US Gold was Peggy Fleming (spoilers) posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on February 13, 2026 at 11:27:47
when it was a proxy for which system was more successful: capitalism or socialism. To the extent that that was a thing, the same rule of thumb applies when the US model falls short of the Norwegian model. That's my angle on this. Otherwise, I hate medal counts with passion.
There is a debate to be had here with respect to how youth sports is being consolidated under a capitalistic monopoly, which limits success in sports to a particular class affiliation. If the thought is "well, that was for the kinds of sports that were not all that popular among the larger America in the first place", I'd say the model is the model. What starts at the margins keeps creeping into the center and takes over the rest if it's not pushed back.
Is that the biggest problem here? Not on its own. But as a manifestation of a bigger societal econmomic trend that rears its head in virtually every aspect of our live, from healthcare to transpportation, from groceies to the internet, as companies consolidate and concentrate wealth by simply eliminating public options and/or smaller competitors, I'd say this is only one manifestation of a bigger ominous trend we've been watching on the sidelines for decades.
American greatness, such as it was, is collapsing under the weight of corporate mergers and further squeezing of the middle class. That is the bigger picture, IMO ... but then, I'm a commie by nature. I'm prone to see the capitalist wheels turning underneath most of our contemporary problems.
Peace, indeed. :)