The capitalist system turns sports into profit motive
As in every area of living the capitalist system also intervenes into sports. It turns it into means of profit making. This is the nature of the capitalist system. It is a system based on profit, profit and even more profit.
In the capitalist system sports is a great sector. And all parts of this sector have been commercialized and aim for profit.
Sports centers are fee-based. Both watching sport events and practice sports are being charged.
There’s a big industrial complex only for advertisement. From advertisement of sport equipment and sport competitions to advertisement of sportsmen, billions of dollars are spent for advertisements. By this, desire is being increased immeasurably .
Bet games like contention or pools have been turned into a means of gamble with the state’s hand.
On one hand irregular nutrition culture and damaged, obese bodies caused by capitalist products, on the other hand fitness centers and medicine which are incited in the name of “becoming beautiful” and to improve this situation….
The capitalist system is robbing and exploiting the masses in both cases and it allegedly finds “solutions” for the deadlock created by itself.
Bourgeoisie doesn’t only see the possibility of profit making in sports, it also wants to use it as means to consolidate its own system. It uses sports to numb and narcotize the masses. It is as means of masses to ease their anger towards the system.
The anger of the masses towards the system and the unhappiness about life within the capitalist system is being suppressed by means of sports. In the capitalist system the success of sports is evaluated with medals and broken records. To become the first, to defeat a competitor, to get the best degree… The aim of sports is being tuned into competition. This comprehension has turned the human body into a machine. The capitalist system also uses sports to spread and develop nationalist, racist and reactionary ideas.
Revolutionaries and the socialist system will put an end to this degenerate, crooked use of sports, which is against the human nature.
In the People’s Constitution, which was prepared by the People’s Front and shall be valid after the revolution in Turkey, following chapter was written about sports:
“The Democratic People’s Republic will establish facilities in the understanding that sports and relaxing is a natural right, in order meet the needs of the people for sports, relaxing and holidays.
For this it will make the necessary legal and administrative regulations. (…)
Sport will not anymore be a merchandise and it will be granted, that it serves the physical and psychological health as well as to promote the spirit of fraternal and collective solidarity of the people. With this objective it will become a social activity, which can be directly joined by the people. There will be established common sport units and mass and amateur sport will be supported. There will be created conditions for the sport for a broad mass of people, not just a little minority. (..)
Well, what is the situation of today’s Turkey?
To practice sports, it is necessary to go to certain clubs or sports centers Indeed, those are not without fee. The poor population do not have opportunities to make sport.
As it is in every area of life in Turkey, also sport can “be exercised by those who have money, but not by persons without money”.
We’re going to change that with the “Berkan Abatay 589 Sports Center”. Sport shall no longer be an exclusive activity of an elite, but free of charge for all people.
On the 27th of May 2014 the ‘Berkan Abatay 589 sports center’ was opened in Okmeydani.
Healthy, powerful bodies can’t just belong to the bourgeoisie. The poor population should also have the chance to have healthy, powerful, athletic bodies. The bourgeoisie deems skinny bodies, weakness, obesity and powerlessness proper to the people.
Poverty, the lack of regular nourishment and working from child age, is damaging our body.
We’ll produce our own sport equipment in our sports hall. While making sport we’ll produce new sport equipments and deliver a blow to the consumption culture.
We’ll show that sport doesn’t necessarily require expensive equipments, but that we are able to produce them ourselves in the frame of functionalism. We’re going to bring out minds for production and creation. When the sports hall was opened, there wasn’t payed for any sports equipment. Everything was obtained with the voluntary support of the people. Inactive sport equipments got a new function and was offered for the service of the people.
The name of the sports hall…
WHY BERKAN ABATAY -589- ?
While imprisoned at Tekirdag’s F-type prison, Berkan Abatay participated in the Great Death Fast Resistance, which continued from 2000-2007. He was the resister, who fasted over the longest period: 589 days! In a way Berkan Abatay has been our guide. The meaning of putting the name of Berkan Abatay, who also was in close relation to sports, to the signboard of our sport center, is the power of will. We’re going to make this will power and discipline an example.
