As the preparations get into full swing for the 2012 Olympics in London, one again has to step back for a moment and look at the enormous cost of hosting this monstrous event.
And when we look at the recent history of this event (when held in democracies), it's not a pretty site.
Many Greeks still blame the Games for the beginnings of their current state of crisis, and one can't help but have some sympathy for that position. Their security costs just kept skyrocketing on the back of massive pressure from America and its Anglo allies to "do more". One of the guiltiest offenders in this regard were the Australian media who pummeled Greece for months with terrifying stories insinuating that the only surprise would be if a bomb DIDN'T go off. So when it was all over and done with, the Greeks were left to pick up (essentially) the American's tab.
Sydneysiders are not far behind either, they also pinpoint the beginning of their decline with the closing ceremony at Homebush.....admittedly the've had an incompetent State Government the whole time which hasn't helped.
The Atlanta Games were a well documented disaster, so you'd have to go back to 1992 to find a city that actually benefited from the event?
So while London gets deeper and deeper into debt ensuring we have a safe Games (by having the military parading around with machines guns on every street corner like a tin pot dictatorship presumably?), who is going to pay the bill once all the corporate jets have left the tarmac? The taxpayer of course, or more accurately, their offspring.
So once again the question needs to be asked, with most sports already discredited with steroid abuse, how many billions need to be wasted before we say; "that's too much" to pay for a two week ego boost?
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