Loosely Connected Thoughts On The Olympics

[poliphilo]

1. Once every four years we take the temperature of planet Earth.

Every nation turns up. Every nation is watching. 

It's too big an event for governments to control, though- God knows- they try.

Interesting things- horrible and inspiring- will happen in spite of the wishes of government.


2. All governments are horrid. Some are more horrid than others. 

The Chinese government is almost certainly less horrid than it was in the days of Chairman Mao.

There's no way the governments of the USA and the UK can lecture China about Tibet while they still have troops in Iraq, etc, etc...

The Beijing Olympics has opened China up to the rest of world. This is almost certainly a good thing.


3. My Radio Times contains a guide to the Olympics. In every event it gives me the name of a "Brit to Watch". What a ugly phrase! What an ugly idea!

How lovely if it were all about youth, beauty, speed, strength, grace- but it's not. It's mainly about nationalism.

Those American athletes turning up in Beijing wearing face masks- what rank bad manners!

Flags and national anthems should be banned and athletes should compete as individuals. Fat chance!


4. The Bird's Nest stadium is really pretty. 

This icon of the new China was designed by Swiss architects. 

Lots of homes were demolished to free up the site. The displaced people say they have received no compensation. 

Ach- the moral complexity...

Comments

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

I always used to love the Olympics as a child. Then, when I was in High School, one of my best friends won 3 gold medals. In fact, she was (and still is) a swimmer, and she was the person who taught me to swim!

In my 20s, the Olympics came to L.A. and I was very excited. However, sadly, the I didn't get to go to a single event. I had a partner then that didn't work who had a small child. Basically, I was "married with children". I wanted so badly to go, and I wanted so badly to take her son, but, even though I had a good job and worked like 60 hours a week, there was no way I could even come close to swinging it.

At that point, a lot of the shine of it got tarnished. Suddenly, all I could see was all the money that everyone was making on the deal, and how the experience is totally untouchable by most of the world. That kind of ruined it for me.

I still get excited about it, though, but I always feel like I am being seduced by a false lover whenever I do.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've never been any good at any sport. Athletics has never greatly appelaed to me. The two sports I sort of pay attention to are tennis and cricket.

I loved the Sydney Olympics. Partly because they seemed to be so good-natured and partly because the scenery and weather were so glorious.

I've always thought the Olympics should be tied down to a permanent site. Preferably in a small country that doesn't greatly abuse human rights- and which isn't going to use them to indulge in political posturing.

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

I think the Olympics may be where I got my love of weight lifting.