You’re getting massively down voted. I really feel like this is a huge obstacle to mitigating poverty in the first world. People focus on appearances; getting rid of things that look poor even when they actually help people.

Yes, it’s upsetting to see people taking such desperate measures. But those measures were taken in response to desperate need. If you fixed the need, then they would go away on their own. If you need to apply force to remove them, then you have not.

It’s the same reason people oppose public transit, dense housing, and informal businesses. Things that are just part of life in the third world. But wealthy and middle class westerners have decided on behalf of poor westerners that poor westerners are too good for them.

Well, it comes down to the fact that professional athletes strive to be the best of the best.

Obviously we don’t need everyone to practice those skills at that level; if we did, then we’d be out of luck because only a small minority is even physically capable of doing so.

But to say that practicing those sports doesn’t have practical benefits is another matter, especially at the amateur level.

Like, you could apply it to any field. If the best chef in the world disappeared, we’d probably be fine. But that doesn’t mean that cooking is a useless skill in general.

I just thought of a possible exception: cycling. Being able to ride a bicycle can be a pretty practical skill in some cities.

Edit: Swimming and diving too have practical applications.

Had to think about it, but you’re right. It only becomes a sport when it’s not needed any more. Before that, it’s a skill.

Horsemanship, archery, hand-to-hand combat, fishing, shooting… all practical skills at one time. Then they became sports.

3. looking down on the low arts such as needle point, crochet, comedy, street art, dance, etc

Huh… I never realized that, but you’re right. People who look down in other cultures also tend to be the ones who look down on folk art even within their own culture.

I’ve noticed before that the people saying, “If there’s an African American Culture club at this school, why can’t we have a White Culture club?” are never actually the ones interested in learning about the culture of white peoples for its own sake.

The irony being that Russia would have worked fine if the Right wasn’t in their pocket.