Vote totals:
Yes:
0%
No:
100%
Neutral:
0%
DEBATE: HOSTING THE OLYMPICS, A GREAT BRITISH DECISION?
HOSTING THE OLYMPICS, A GREAT BRITISH DECISION?
It will be an opportunity to show off British Talent
In the midst of the ‘obesity epidemic’ and criticisms of sporting standards in this country, London 2012 will be a perfect opportunity to show off the very real sporting talents that exist in this nation. The outstanding performance of the British team at the Beijing games, winning 19 golds and 47 medals overall, suggests that now is the perfect time for British talent to take centre stage.
Furthermore, the investment in British sport brought about by the games will help to develop the sporting careers of all those young people who have been inspired by the success in Beijing.
This year’s medal total was nothing more than a fluke; we simply won’t be able to maintain that standard for 2012. The London games will simply be an embarrassment for British athletes; we lag behind the rest of the world in sport and hosting the games won’t change that. It will only be more glaringly obvious.
HOSTING THE OLYMPICS, A GREAT BRITISH DECISION?
It won’t be profitable for our reputation
As Brits we tend to focus on the negative aspects of our national culture, but there is plenty to be proud of.
What’s wrong with displaying a London Bus? Like our old red telephone boxes, the buses are an iconic design that conjure up an image of London for people all over the world. They make a definitive statement; that Britain has always been at the forefront of economic and technological developments. We may moan that it’s never on time, but the transport network in Britain is far superior to that of the U.S. or most of Europe!
As for Leona Lewis and David Beckham, it’s another classic British trait to be sceptical about the cult of celebrity. But David Beckham is one of the most famous people on earth, listed by Time magazine as one of the top 15 most influential celebrities and ranked 4th in ListAfterList.com’s ‘Most Recognizable People in The World’ (higher than George W. Bush, Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II!) We should be immensely proud that he is a Brit and pleased that we have such an internationally renowned representative. Leona is a little newer to the scene, but is part of the great tradition of British artists like the Beatles who have been phenomenally influential in the world of music.
Boris Johnson is a bit of a ‘Marmite Man’- you either love or hate him! But, like Marmite, he is a bit of a British icon, combining the image of an upper class bumbling Brit with an intelligence that won him both his high media profile and his role as mayor. He is a man with a sense of humour, who does things his own way – a perfect representation of the British attitude to life. Rather than constantly criticising the games, we should use them to showcase the very best of Britain and embrace the many positive aspects of British life and culture.
Not if the eight minute performance on Sunday 24th is anything to go by. A red double-decker bus was used to make a statement to the world. But what was it? In London there are so many things to be proud of culturally, and we give the world a glimpse of a bus that they can find on any cheap postcard in London. The bus was then sprinkled with the cultureless! Leona Lewis is a lap dog for Simon Cowell and David Beckham has not lived in Britain for years! The only thing London taught the world in the handover ceremony was how to waste £2 million.
As if this was not enough, in a room full of sophisticated officials in suits the Olympic flag gets passed to the Mayor of London, a scruffy man in a jacket with no buttons. He did not even have the sophistication or intellect to wave the flag appropriately, he fiddled and fumbled! For Britain’s reputation, we can only hope he deals with the actual London 2012 games with more careful hands.
HOSTING THE OLYMPICS, A GREAT BRITISH DECISION?
The money would be better spent elsewhere
A lot of the money will be spent on the regeneration of parts of East London that are currently underdeveloped. When the games are over the new facilities will still benefit the local communities and the prestige of hosting the games should bring new life and investment to the area.
London’s reputation as a tourist destination has taken a knock from the threat of terrorism since the underground bombings of 7/7. The games will be a way of bringing international attention back to the positive aspects of the UK, bringing foreign visitors and their spending power back to Britain.
Why do you not ask those whose houses are being repossessed? Or the elderly who cannot afford fuel to keep themselves alive? Or those who have to pay 4% interest on their student loans in addition to tax?
We are going through a recession and the government wants to flaunt their, or rather taxpayers’, cash on an extravagant sporting palaver. Spending this estimated £9.3 billion on the London 2012 will only deepen the feeling that Ministers of Parliament live in a life far removed from the life lived by those they rule over.
If there is a fund of £9.3 billion to spend on 16 days, why not improve lives by lowering interest rates, temporarily suspend VAT on essential items such as milk and bread? In fact, with £9.3 billion to spare, why not scrap the dreaded income tax rate which is driving out the skilled workers of Britain and make sensible investments to last Britain decades, not weeks.
