I think Doug Robinson has a point... I love the Olympics, but what do they symbolize?
Has it become, or has it been, a political show?
Does it strengthen relations between countries?
Berlin Olympics, 1936(just a few years before Hitler begins invasion of Poland, etc., beginning WW II)
Does it strengthen the illusion and the strangle-hold that some countries have on their people?
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700251931,00.html
What purpose do the Olympics serve? There has been a lot of controversy as the games in Beijing approached and began. Will worldwide attention cause the Chinese government to better address its humanitarian and environmental problems? Or will it serve as a 'cover.' Of course every country can improve its human rights record. Historically, the United States does not have the brightest human rights record either.
What do you think?
Jesse Owens, 1936Owens wins 4 gold medals in the Berlin Olympics
(read here for an interesting little snip of history on these events at Wikipedia)
"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."
- Jesse Owens
- Jesse Owens
Athletes from around the world embracing, encouraging, and rejoicing together.I love the "human" elements of the Olympics:
Coaches comforting an athlete in tears.
A crowd cheering for one who faltered but finished.
Seeing competing athletes congratulate and comfort one another.
Watching parents of olympians cry in the stands.
Seeing individuals pushing themselves to their limits.
Seeing a winner totally freak out when they win.
Seeing individuals heed that eternal spark inside them that always tells them that they CAN do it!
2 comments:
Frankly, I think the Olympics are really just a show off for the hosting country. Besides hidden/unhidden political purposes, economic purposes are also in play. Also to make a history for the hosting country, different talented athletes, and even the individual citizen of the Olympics hosting country who was predetermined to do the immoral by shedding innocent blood. I like to watch all the sports competition and all the excitement, energy, and drama in it.
I had a professor in grad school who had done his PhD on the role that World Fairs played in society. In one of our classes we discussed how World's Fairs don't really exist anymore. We surmised that the Olympics had replaced the World's Fairs in showing off culture, engineering, intellect, and society to the rest of the world. I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing though. Why not show off the best your country has to offer? Surely those in the world who have the capacity to read a free press will not be hoodwinked by a dictatorial host country. Ya know?
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