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

[nostoi.livejournal.com]

I skipped through the pages relating to the Olympics in the Radio Times, was much more interested in Boris Johnson's Turkish antecedents!

For the 2012 (or the 20 R as I read the awful logo!) allotments were cleared for some reason or other and the allotment holders were "compensated" very badly with a substandard area which is just about impossible to till.

Dead right about the UK and US lecturing others as if we were pure and innocent ourselves. Ack. Government's are pretty sickening things in the main, all about power masquerading as concern for the people. Bah.

If I were remotely interested in the Games I would be more into seeing other countries efforts than my own. There's so much to learn about other nations, why not take the opportunity to look outwards for a change.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed, fancy Boris being a Turk!

I'm not looking forward to the 2012 Olympics. I regard them as a fraud that's being perpetrated on the British people.

I don't suppose I'll be watching much of the Games, but you never know. There's been so much hype about the opening ceremony I reckon I'm going to have to tune in.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

I protest human rights violations wherever they occur, but especially in my own country, where such violations fly in the face of the "American Way".