To be read as a direct continuation of Part 1; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-2020-summer-olympics-closing.html
Fun With Flags I.
It is International Olympic Committee (IOC) protocol. That each Closing Ceremony must include a section. In which the host nation's flag is raised and their national anthem is played.
This section gave us our first look at the arena layout. Which would stay the same throughout the ceremony.
It was intended to resemble A Baseball Field. So a field of grass with pathways in it to link the bases.
Although, obviously it was intended to be an artistic representation of a Baseball Field. Not an actual Baseball Field.
In the centre, representing the Pitcher's Mound. There was a small, multi-level stepped stage.
Intended to invoke the stone steps at the entrance of a Shinto Shrine. The site of worship within Japan's main Animist religion/belief system.
Shinto Shrines actually have a set architectural layout. With each element serving a particular purpose.
You have the gate; "Toro." Which I think everyone recognises as the image of a Shinto Shrine. The vertical pillars of wood. With a curved wooden lintel resting on top of them. Known as; "Chigi."
Behind the Toro you have the stone steps. Which, I don't think, actually have a specific Japanese name.
The stone steps lead up to the; "Sando." The pathway leading to the Shrine. This is lit by ceremonial lanterns; "Toro."
The first buildings you arrive at along the Sando are; "Chozuya" or; "Temizuya." A place for worshippers to ceremonially cleanse themselves before entering the Shrine. Rather like how Muslims wash themselves before entering a Mosque.
The next building is the; "Kagura-den." A hall in which songs and dances are performed as offerings to the Kami (God, Holy Spirit, Holy Force) the Shrine is dedicated to honouring.
Then there are structures for Ema to be placed. These are prayers or wishes being asked of the Kami. They're engraved on wooden plaques.
You then have the; "Haiden." Sometimes described as; "The Oratory Hall." This is where people gather to share and offer prayers to the Kami the Shrine is dedicated to honouring.
Beyond the Haiden you the; "Honden." This is almost the noble sanctuary. The part of the Shrine where the Kami it is honouring resides.
The Honden is surrounded by a fence; "Tamagaki." Along with statues of; "Komainyu" Lion-Dogs. To guard the Honden and the Kami that resides there.
Not all Shrines actually have a Honden. In Shinto Kami are considered to be manifestations of nature and nature is considered to be a manifestation of the Kami.
So Kuni-no-Tokotatchi is considered to be manifested in Mount Fuji. As represented by the Olympic Cauldron structure which was also present throughout this Closing Ceremony.
As such the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine at Mount Fuji doesn't have Honden. Mount Fuji itself is considered the Honden.
Many Shrines also have; "Sessha" or; "Messha." Almost auxiliary shrines honouring other Kami, closely associated with the Kami that resides in the Honden. However those Kami do not reside within the Sessha.
Shrines also have a; "Shamusho." The admin office.
Alongside stone steps this Pitcher's Mound stage also had ramps. Making it wheelchair accessible.
A Big Advert for the Para-Olympics. Here in the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics.
Expressing Japan's desire for parity between the Olympics and Para-Olympics. As not two, separate events but one continuous event.
A reminder to viewers. That this is not the end. It is merely the beginning of the intermission.
Japan is probably one of the only countries outside of the US. Where Baseball is even remotely popular.
Something they referenced in the Cauldron Lighting during the Opening Ceremony. With Shiego Nagashima, Sadaharu Oh and Hideki Matsui.
Those two frail old men and their care worker. All still clinging on. Waiting for Britain's much promised global leadership in the field of elderly healthcare to finally emerge. All these years after 2006.
The Japanese Flag was brought into the arena by six flag-bearers;
Naohisa Takato: The Japanese woman who, at these games, won the Gold Medal in the Womens 60kg Judo. A traditionally male combat sport.
Takeru Kitazono: The Japanese man who, at these games, won a Silver Medal. In the stereotypically feminine sport of Artistic Gymnastics
Together they touch on that recurring theme of these games. Improving rights for women, particularly within Japanese society. By exploring traditional and non-traditional gender roles.
Yui Ohashi: The Japanese woman who, at these games, won two Gold Medals. In the 200m Individual Medley and 400m Individual Medley Swimming events.
Ramu Kawai: The young Japanese woman who became the first Youth World Champion. At the 2018 Youth Games. In the discipline of Break-Dancing.
Break-Dancing or; "Breaking" will become an Olympic event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. In no small part due to Japan and, Asians generally, obsession with this traditionally Black American form of dance.
Despite the nutters of Black Lives Matter wishing to see such; "Cultural Appropriation" outlawed. As the most serious form of Thought-Crime.
Dr Hiroyuki Yokota: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) at these games. Overseeing all medical matters. He is representative of all the Healthcare Professionals who have responded to the Pandemic.
Yano Amane: A young Japanese woman from Osaka who is a fashion model. Despite having a prosthetic lower right leg. Having lost her own leg at age 12. Due to a very Covid-like inflammatory blood disorder.
Another Big Advert for the Para-Olympics. Here in the Olympic Closing Ceremony. One that challenges the notion that Disabled people can't be sexy or sexual.
The Japanese Flag was then handed to flag-detail made up of all branches of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces (JSDF).
The Japanese Ground Self-Defence Forces (JGSDF). The Japanese Air Self-Defence Forces (JASDF). The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Forces (JMSDF).
As within the Opening Ceremony. This flag-detail was strictly gender-balanced. With female members of the JSDF on one side with an equal number of male members of the JSDF on the other.
This flag-detail then raised the flag on a flag pole on the protocol stage. Which had been noticeably stripped of the very nautical theme it had during the Opening Ceremony.
So I found it a little interesting. That in contrast the flag-detail was led, or commanded, by an officer from the JMSDF. They're still Constitutionally forbidden from referring to it as a; "Navy."
As the Japanese Flag was being raised on the protocol stage. The Japanese National Anthem was being sung, live, on the central Pitcher's Mound stage.
By the Takarazuka Revue. One of the last surviving examples of; "Onna-kabuki." The three Kanji symbols that make up the word Kabuki are; "Song (1-10-4)," "Dance (2-2-13)" and; "Skill (1-3-4)."
As was mentioned during the section of the Opening Ceremony which I entitled; "Intermission." Onna-kabuki is the original form of Kabuki. With adult women playing all roles. Male, female, adult, child.
However Onna-kabuki was really a front for prostitution. So during the Edo Period was banned.
Being replaced first by Wakashu-kabuki. With all male casts, men playing adults and boys playing children.
Then Yaro-Kabuki. With men playing all roles. Male, female, adult, child.
As was also mentioned during that same sequence.
Japan's shrinking population means it might want to abandon the strictures of the Edo Period. Returning to Kabuki's rather horny history.
Otherwise Izanagi and Izanami's fourth favourite child may not survive.
It's difficult not to look at; "Burusera." The very public Japanese sexual fetish for pubescent school girl's used underwear, swimming costumes, sanitary products. Essentially anything that's touched their genitals.
Without speculating whether it is not extremely repressed sexuality. Being squeezed out the sides. In a way that is hardly productive for reproduction.
The Edo Period also saw the introduction of the; "Sakoku" or; "Locked State" policy. To give you an idea of how deeply engrained a distrust of foreigners this has left within Japanese society.
It is actually illegal for the lyrics of the Japanese National Anthem to be translated, let alone performed. In any language other than Japanese.
Which is absolutely the only reason why I'm not telling you what the lyrics mean here.
Flag Parade.
It is IOC protocol that the Closing Ceremony does not include the Parade of Nations used in the Opening Ceremony. Which you've just seen highlights of in the Highlights Reel I.
The reason for this is the 1956 Summer Olympics. Held in Melbourne, Australia. The one at which Agnes Keleti won two Silver and four Gold Medals in Gymnastics.
You remember Agnes Keleti. The oldest surviving Olympic Champion. The 100 year old woman who featured in that video in the Opening Ceremony. Just after the Olympic Oaths were taken.
The 1956 Summer Olympics occurred at the height of the Cold War. During the games themselves the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. To crush the Hungarian Uprising/Revolution.
In protest Agnes Keleti and 44 other Hungarian Olympians simply refused to return to Hungary. Claiming political asylum in Australia.
Those games ended up being so extremely bad tempered. There were things like actual fist-fights breaking out between delegations.
In an effort to calm things down. Organisers tried to get participants to focus on what they had in common. Their mutual participation in sport. Rather than the national and political differences that divide them.
So rather than entering the arena in a parade of tightly regimented squadrons of nations. The athletes enter the arena as a much more relaxed, single whole. All together, as one. So to speak.
However the National Flags are still paraded into the arena. Normally by a single athlete from each respective nation.
This year though many of the National Flags had to be paraded in by Japanese volunteers. Pandemic restrictions meant that athletes and their support teams had to leave Japan within 48 hours of their event ending.
So many of the smaller delegations. Particularly those whose events were at the start of the games. Were no longer in Japan.
Once the flags had been paraded in. They were displayed in a circle, around the central Pitcher's Mound stage.
At around 18:20 on 30/12/21 (UK date) I'll try and finish this part after dinner.
Edited at around 21:00 on 30/12/21 (UK date) to tidy the above and copy & paste;
Highlights Reel II.
Another short video was played. Showing more highlights of the games just past.
Again this video gave much prominence to Britain's Equestrian Team. Along with Team GB Diver Tom Daley.
Another reference to that big, recurring theme of the games. An Intervention For Britain.
The video also gave much prominence to Team GB Swimmer Adam Peaty. Who gained two Gold Medals at these games.
In the 4x400m Mixed Medley Relay. Along with the Mens 100m Breaststroke. Team GB's first Gold Medal of these games.
As a child I, myself, used to be something of a promising swimmer. Winning at County Level, above my age bracket. I had to give it up though after developing an allergy to Chlorine.
A White man Adam Peaty is currently in an Interracial relationship. With the Black woman Erianedd Munro.
Rather like how I'm in an Interracial relationship with Rihanna. My eternal wife in the eyes of the International Olympic/Para-Olympic movement.
So Adam Peaty was donated those Gold Medals. As a way to discuss what a star performer I am for the superior beings of Team GB.
As with the Equestrian events having me as the inferior being, the horse. Being controlled by the world-class expertise of the superior beings of Team GB.
That is not even remotely connected to reality.
Not only do I not work for Team GB. 2006 was Team GB blowing any chance of me ever working for them.
The list they drew up in 2006 of all the wonderful things they thought they were going to achieve. Was, in fact, them drawing up a list of things they were choosing to never achieve.
A lesson the US has seemed intent on learning for themselves. The hard way.
The video also gave a lot of prominence to Anna Kiesenhofer. Who sensationally won Gold in the Womens Cycling Road Race. On the second full day of the games.
As I said in discussing Highlights Reel I. My entire life was stolen from me in 2006. Then gifted to someone else. On the basis they would go on to be world-class in the field of Bio-Medical Science.
With her PhD in Mathematics Anna Kiesenhofer represents that person.
Making it very hard to explain why the IOC were portraying Anna Kiesenhofer as a success. Particularly as the Pandemic is now in its third year.
Some would even describe the IOC's behaviour towards Britain there as abusive. The equivalent of giving an alcoholic yet another beer.
In contrast the video also gave prominence to Simone Biles. The Team USA gymnast who was famous at these games for developing the; "Yips" or; "Twisties."
The sort of vague mental health problem. That allowed us all to ask; "How did Simone Biles get it so wrong?!" "What is Simone Biles' problem?!"
Suggesting there may be hope for America yet. Where none exists for Britain anymore.
During the intervention they were at least acknowledging that they've got a problem. Starting to explore the reasons that led to them developing that problem.
The video also gave prominence to Yulimar Rojas (Rodriguez). The Venezuelan woman who emerged as one of stars of the games.
Yulimar Rojas won Gold in the Womens Triple Jump. Becoming the first Venezuelan woman to win an Olympic Gold. Setting a New World Record in the process.
In the Opening Ceremony. In a section I entitled; "The Corona Of Serfdom." We explored the Austrian School of Economics. Its central text being; "The Road To Serfdom." By Friedrich Hayek.
The Austrian School considers the economy to be the sum of an almost infinite number of, often irrational decisions. Being made by billions of people each and every day.
No government could ever have the insight and wisdom to replace that near infinite number of decisions. As advocated by acolytes of the Keynesian School of economics.
So any attempt to do so will, inevitably, end in failure. This failure will start a spiral into Totalitarianism. As the government has to become ever more forceful as it tries to cover up its failures.
Strictly speaking Marxism or Communism isn't an economic model. So much as a political rejection of economics.
However its model of a single political party controlling all economic activity. Is the most extreme example of Keynesian interventionism.
Venezuela is one of only a
few nations on Earth that still subscribes to Marxism. A large part of
Yulimar Rojas' backstory is how she's battled to overcome the poverty
and serfdom of Venezuelan Marxism.
As the Venezuelan economy has continued to collapse. We've all been able to see the Venezuelan government becoming increasingly Totalitarian.
Including the public phonecall Nicholas Maduro made to congratulate Yulimar Rojas. Which even the kindest of onlooker has described as; "Forced."
Yulimar Rojas is coached by the Cuban Ivan Pedroso (Soler). Cuba being another of the handful of countries that still subscribe to Marxism.
As the Venezuelan economy has collapsed. It has become less able to subsidise the Cuban economy. Which, in turn, has also collapsed.
Just before the Olympics. July 11th (11/7/21) through to July 17th (17/7/21). Mass food shortages caused by the collapse of the Cuban economy prompted mass protests in Cuba.
Which the Cuban government then violently put down. In true Totalitarian fashion.
By including that Corona of Serfdom section in the Opening Ceremony. Japan allowed me to showcase.
Exactly who was in whose audience at Live 8.
That 2005 event that created such excitement. It saw Britain being awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Just one year before Britain just, completely withdrew from reality.
To be continued in Part 3.
21:15 30/12/21 (UK date).
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