Paris has transformed into a dystopian nightmare ahead of Olympics

PARIS – Bonjour, world! Bienvenue to the Paris Olympic Games! Come for the propaganda, stay for the rampant authoritarianism!

The tone couldn’t have been better set. Paris blew €1.5 billion to “clean up” the Seine river — effectively an open-air sewer — promising Parisians a long-term legacy of open water swimming using preparation for Olympic distance and triathlon swimming as a pretext. But it was still too bacteria-infested with a month to go. Then, with just days to go before the Games, the French sports minister donned a full wetsuit and slipped into the river, screaming her head off (perhaps because she knows exactly what’s in there) before declaring, “It’s mild!” She quickly hopped out and pat herself on the back for the government keeping its promises. Within days, the mayor of Paris did the same, raving about the water, which was brown. Just like Saint Tropez, though, if you squint hard enough!

The reality check came from CNN correspondent Melissa Bell, reporting during her own river dip, that the water was “not quite clean” but swimmable.

Pretty weak return on a billion-plus investment. Kind of makes you wonder where all the cash went.