We seem to get this all the time, millions are wasted on the bids for the present and future games. All this money seems to involve sending a huge committee of elderly men all over the world on a non stop merry-go-round of money, gifts, and banquets. The same committee that would drop something like archery to make room for more meaningful sports, such as ladies beach volleyball if they could.
So wow, Britain gets to stage the Olympics, it will probably be damp, wet, drizzly and be a disaster like other big events. All this money being spent on new buildings and infrastructure, for LONDON.
OK, it's the capital city, but at one end of the country. So the whole of the UK has massive travelling distances to get there. And when they do, there is nowhere to park, hotels are massively expensive. The land and building costs are the highest in the UK because it is London. You could use the trains, if you want to risk being late or not getting there at all. Or maybe you like being treated worse than cattle in transit.
And what after the Olympics. London will have a new stadium, but the rest of us will be hundreds of miles away from it. Maybe a 50 metre swimming pool, miles away from 90% of the country. Lots of new housing built for the event, which will probably end up in the private sector.
It's often suggested in so many circles, why not build it somewhere permanent, like Greece, where the whole idea came from in the first place. Everybody contributes to their countries athletic village etc. The weather in Greece is reliable and warm. Not too hot like some countries, or very high up such as Los Angeles, where athletes struggle with the altitude. A country geared up totally for tourism anyway. But that would mean the Olympic officials gravy train ending perhaps. Even though it would be the best for the sporting world saving billions of pounds over the years, that would be better spent actually supporting athletes.
And what about the politics involved. The current Olympics will be in China, a country with an appalling record of civil rights and poverty. How many corrupt countries with tyrannical dictatorships have piled in billions to get the games. Then have used it to proclaim they are not such bad people really.
Yes there will be a media blitz for a few weeks. Some of the high profile supporters like MP seb Coe will bask in glory. But it will soon all be forgotten. The private companies involved will of course have gained millions of pounds in profit from the government and lottery funds. Will the extra housing that is built go to doctors, nurses, ambulance men, firemen, teachers etc. Or will it end up in wealthy peoples hands ? Like all the good housing in London, where the aforementioned public servants are being driven out ?
Rant over !!!!
Phil ducks and runs away, in preparation for getting shot down in flames
