Another reason for me not to like the Olympics

[Ryan_m_b]

Just in case security via military, rooftop rockets and powers to confiscate Olympic protest materials even on private property (by the same legislation that allows the police to remove any advertising on private property near the games that isn't from an official corporate sponsor) we now have this...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HP1UHK/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Wenlock the [strike]Orwellian[/strike] Olympic mascot who looks like a nightmarish cross between a policeman and a CCTV camera. The comments and recommended products are at least entertaining.

Perhaps I'll get enthused when the games start but it's hard to see the Olympics as anything but a multi-billion pound investment in the advertisement industry coupled with a shocking crackdown on civil freedoms.

 

[256bits]

Perhaps I'll get enthused when the games start but it's hard to see the Olympics as anything but a multi-billion pound investment in the advertisement industry coupled with a shocking crackdown on civil freedoms

.

You think! Here's my rant.
I am still amazed ( or dissolusioned ) that any country would want to be associated with the Olympic movement let alone be host to the games considering to what it has evolved into in the past few years. Try to outdo the previous, by spending billions and billions of dollars on facilities of questionable economic value ( in the years after the Olympics), clean up or fix the streets and neighborhoods which for some reason could not be done since there were no funds without Olympics, hand out 100,000's of free condoms to the athletes to play with in their spare time (official Olymoic brand advertising again), official Olympic sponsor or else you cannot ever never use the word Olympic - what next the Official Olympic Wad of Gum on the Street.
It is not about the athletes and performance

 

[jackmell]

Perhaps I'll get enthused when the games start but it's hard to see the Olympics as anything but a multi-billion pound investment in the advertisement industry coupled with a shocking crackdown on civil freedoms.

What about talent Ryan? Their perfection give us something to look up to. I admire their health. I see the absolute worst in people on a daily basis and it discourages me. Watching the Olympics and the healthy, strong, and successful people participating in it give me optimism for H. sapiens.

And as far as the security, you remember what happen to the Israelis in the 60's right? I think it's worst now.

 

[zoobyshoe]

The mascot seems quite appropriate to the Olympics. Well, if it were still Berlin, 1936.

 

[rootX]

What about talent Ryan? Their perfection give us something to look up to. I admire their health. I see the absolute worst in people on a daily basis and it discourages me. Watching the Olympics and the healthy, strong, and successful people participating in it give me optimism for H. sapiens.

People who collect my garbage every week give me more optimism for H. sapiens.

 

[cobalt124]

...but it's hard to see the Olympics as anything but a multi-billion pound investment in the advertisement industry...

This is why I lost interest in sport. The U.K. Premier League in the 1990's - money. World Championship Snooker with pockets like buckets - money. Rugby Union going professional, and the rest. Its just a game, and the game is Monopoly.

What about talent Ryan? Their perfection give us something to look up to. I admire their health...Watching the Olympics and the healthy, strong, and successful people participating in it give me optimism for H. sapiens

I admire your optimism. For me, the use of drugs shoots this down I'm afraid. It's all about winning now. What happened to achievement?

 

[Chi Meson]

And then there's this:

I'm not even talking about the "Made in China" fiasco, I'm just sayin'

"... but look at them!"
Looks like they're graduating from a maritime boarding prep-school-with-an-attitude

 

[SW VandeCarr]

It's also about politics and nationalism. The original intent was that athletes compete, not nation states. But early on, nationalism took control and the press has ranked nations by the number of medals won at least since the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After 1948 it was Soviet athletes against Western athletes, but primarily between the US and the USSR for total medals. Since 1992 this is less of an issue, but corporate interests have simply supplanted national interests. Besides, it's becoming increasing clear that the summer Olympics are a major drain on the budgets of the host nations.

 

[Danger]

I'm just irritated that I incurred the wrath of the law for the rockets and machine guns mounted on my roof.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

What about talent Ryan? Their perfection give us something to look up to. I admire their health. I see the absolute worst in people on a daily basis and it discourages me. Watching the Olympics and the healthy, strong, and successful people participating in it give me optimism for H. sapiens.

I think we have different views on the merits of athletes. That's not to say I'm not impressed by their dedication and skill nor am I trying to belittle their achievements but to put it in perspective there are far greater examples for me of human activity that gives me optimism and that don't come wrapped in a multibillion corporate advertisement.

As for security I'm not objecting to that, I'm objecting to legitimisation of questionable acts by the authorities (banning protests with dispersal zones for example), the questionable tactics of militarisation (If I were a terrorist I would be jumping for joy at the installation of missiles because now all I have to do is spoof one, preferably in the direction of an open air train station at rush hour) and the nauseating culture of forced patriotism on the back of pervasive advertisement.

 

[dlgoff]

"... but look at them!"
Looks like they're graduating from a maritime boarding prep-school-with-an-attitude

Burn 'em!

 

[Evo]

And then there's this:

I'm not even talking about the "Made in China" fiasco, I'm just sayin'

"... but look at them!"
Looks like they're graduating from a maritime boarding prep-school-with-an-attitude

I saw that picture and thought it was a joke.

 

[turbo]

IMO, it is sad that a celebration of athleticism and competition can be so overtaken by commercial interests that politicians will allow the confiscation of advertising materials displayed by non-sponsors. Can small businesses located near Olympic venues not advertise freely? Sad...

 

[russ_watters]

Adding to the horror, no one is allowed to sell French Fries except McDonalds, unless sold with fish. Oh, the humanity! I'm pretty sure, that's exactly what Orwell had in mind.

 

[Jack21222]

What about talent Ryan? Their perfection give us something to look up to.

Lol! Their "perfection?" Oh please. They put their pants on one leg at a time just like I do.

They can run fast? Yeah? Well I can solve differential equations. I'd say we're even.