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simpson

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Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

Nigel Lawson, appearing on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday suggested it might be better all round if we just ditched the Olympics. He said the IOC was corrupt, and that the games were more trouble than they were worth.

Speaking as a Londoner, I've been horrified to find that some small arts and community projects have had their funding stopped in order to help pay for the 2012 games. I can envisage it being a huge black hole, sucking in money in much the same way as the Millennium Dome did at the turn of the century.

So - should we forget the whole damn thing?

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7/Apr/08, 11:08 Send PM to simpson   Blog  
 
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

My initial reaction was no, but considering the way in which some countries seem to hijack the whole thing for political reasons, and that just about every sport has a world championship anyway, I think it might be a good idea. The commonwealth games retains the principles of the original modern olympic ideals, but the idea of giving the chinese the games so that they would become more democratic was flawed from the start.

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7/Apr/08, 18:44 Send Email to Uberposter     Send PM to Uberposter   Blog  
 
snowkitty
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

I think we should ditch it, the Dome was a monumental failure, already it is leaking like a sieve and the patches don't exactly add to its charm.

Its not just that many local arts and community projects have lost their funding, but many small local business have been located to areas where they cannot flourish and some have had to close and for what will probably only be a short term gain.

Also I don't think we have the capacity to deal with the increased pressure on our transport systems, parking, and public services ect.

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19/Apr/08, 14:04 Send Email to snowkitty     Send PM to snowkitty   Blog  
 
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

Well the Dome was ill conceived from the first, after all the third millenium didn't begin on Jan 1 2000, it began 3666 days later, the 1st Jan 2001, because the concept of zero didn't exist before the 19th century.

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21/Apr/08, 11:33 Send Email to Uberposter     Send PM to Uberposter   Blog  
 
wobbly bits
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

I firmly believe that the Olympics has become a political tool. From 1936 onwards the decline of the "Olympic Ideal" has gathered increasing momentum and the games are now used to promote good polotics/bad polotics. People that go on about sport is separate to politics cannot see the bigger picture. My admiration of several sports people was tarnished by their role in the torch relay. Stand up and be counted! China has the games and is still behaving in the manner towards those who oppose the government.
If holding the next Olympics is tying the hands of our politicians, sports people and many others how can it be a good thing.

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24/Apr/08, 19:27 Send Email to wobbly bits     Send PM to wobbly bits  
 
Dave1510
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

I agree to a large extent although remember that the modern Olympics has only been around since 1896. So by your criteria, it has hardly ever been ideal.

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25/Apr/08, 9:12 Send Email to Dave1510     Send PM to Dave1510   MSN  
 
mad jock
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

Given all the corruption, drug abuse etc then absolutely; get rid of it. Make the IOC members get real jobs.
25/Apr/08, 9:37 Send Email to mad jock     Send PM to mad jock  
 
mad jock
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

Given all the corruption, drug abuse etc then absolutely; get rid of it! Make the IOC members get real jobs.
25/Apr/08, 9:38 Send Email to mad jock     Send PM to mad jock  
 
simpson

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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

Well, having just read a superb book called "Squandered" by David Craig (Uber, you would love reading this book, you can get it HERE ), I am convinced that the Olympics is going to be a complete and utter financial ****-up because this Government seem absolutely incapable of running any large project. Hell, they'd probably screw up running a cake stall at a country fayre. There are already mountains of waste piling up in the pursuit of these two weeks of (mostly) minority sports, and good causes are being plundered to pay for it all. It's bad bad news.

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28/Apr/08, 7:30 Send PM to simpson   Blog  
 
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Re: Should we just get rid of the Olympics altogether?

Well given the fiasco of Wembley not being completed for the world athletic games, not that the FA wanted a running track there in the first place, the idea that we can get several stadiums ready for the olympics is a bit scary, mind you not giving the contracts to foreign companies, like Wembley was might help.

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28/Apr/08, 10:50 Send Email to Uberposter     Send PM to Uberposter   Blog  
 


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