The Beijing Games: Less than Ideal.

The 2008 Olympics are finally over. Not that I don’t like sports (I rather like sport too much, which truly is something of a curse for something so mundane and trivial) but if this was anything less than a chance to show the world that dominance of a nation by a single ruling elite is a good thing, I don’t know what it was.

Sure, China won the most gold, but at what personal cost to those involved? They had a 17 year old weightlifter who hadn’t seen his family in 4 years because he was taken from them expressly to train in his sport for the glory of his country. And not one of the winners thanked anyone except for their nation which allowed them to compete. And I say allowed very certainly, for it is the sanctioned powers that be who decide who competes and not true individual will or prowess. In short, no true competition.

I’m not above believing that it is a good thing to be proud of your homeland. But if that’s all you’re proud of, then it really speaks ill about your country. Patriotism which sees nothing beyond nationality is to be held suspect. Surely, too, the IOC must see that Olympics games such as China put on are not in the true spirit of friendly competition but are rather in the interests of some vague and dangerous entity.

As such, what did China really win? Did they in fact win anything at all? If all they won was the chance to say I’m better than you, then it proves nothing but their arrogance and are below our approval.