My view on the Olympics

[ajva]

This is in response to webcowgirl's take on the Olympics. I thought I'd balance things out a bit. :o)

I'm a fan, so it's a positive view. I love the spectacle of the ultimate games meeting, and have huge respect for all the athletes involved. I find the whole thing extremely exciting: amazing feats of human skill and endurance, the huge party, the romance of the highs and the lows. Smashing stuff.

I also take a different view to many over China having been awarded them: I think it is an excellent thing, because it has forced the authorities to deal with an international light shining on their domestic affairs. While I don't expect much political change in the short term, there are today millions of people throughout China who now realise that their country is often unpopular internationally, when they were totally unaware of it before due to domestic reporting restrictions. In the long term, this will be a political seed that germinates in interesting fashion. This kind of thing represents the Olympics at its best.

Does it even need saying that I am bursting with enthusiasm about 2012? :o)

Comments

Re: Thanks for the reasoned response

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Well, er, re: subtlety, I do disagree. I lived in China (1988, though only for a summer), I studied Chinese culture and politics for 3 years at Uni (86-89, BA in Chinese and BA in Political Science with Asian Studies certificate, basically a China emphasis), have kept track of changes in China ever since ... I think I am actually on top of the game!

OK, fair dos. :o)