This blog will be used by Mrs. Wilsher's AP class to post coherent, logical, informed, and well-written responses to topics related to the class. You will also respond to comments from other students. Many college professors in all areas of the curriculum require students to participate in online discussions or blogs. The AP Lang. Blog requirement will help prepare you for college courses, while improving your writing skills.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Should We Abolish the Olympics?
Read Should We Abolish the Olympics?. Do you agree or disagree with author David Macaray? Support your argument by referring to specific information in the article.
I agree with author David Macaray that the Olympics should be abolished. The Olympic games was established as an worldwide event whose goal was “to promote goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding through competition” (article). However, as the history passed a century in which many world-changing affairs happened, such as WWI, WWII, independences of many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as the multiple industrial revolutions, the atmosphere of the Olympics which used to be pure has been altered deliberately by us. In modern days, the Olympic games becomes an exposition in which the hosting country would take the chance to show its best aspects of the nation in front of the audiences and visitors from all over the world. As many people strongly believe, holding an Olympic games would bring a lot of economic income to the hosting country mostly through tourism and exports after the games end. However, the reality is that “Almost every country who has hosted a Summer Olympics has incurred debilitating debt” (article). As far as I know about the Beijing Olympic Games held in 2008, the Chinese government invested billions of dollar in building new massive stadiums, such as the Bird Nest and the Water Cube, improving public utilities for, superficially speaking, the convenience of visitors and citizens, but, in reality, leaving a good impression to the foreign visitors, such as updating Beijing’s entire public transportation system including the bus and the subway while fixing the fare to the lowest ever, and building shelters for homeless people who used to hanging around in the city. The another big investment was applied to temporarily solve the severe issue, the air pollution, which still came back to Beijing after the Olympics ended when the government stopped investing money to keep the air clean. Did the Olympics bring any positive impact on the economy? Yes, I don’t want to deny it. But it’s too small to be noticed when it’s compared to the staggering cost.
From his article, David Macaray conveys an abhorring tone against the conceived perception of the Olympics. This perception, shared by most people, delivers the notion that the Olympic Games offer the world an opportunity to rejoice and establish equal grounds amongst nations. During this occasion, various countries would compete to proclaim their integrity, pride, and prestige through sports, as the world witnesses their performance. However, the notion of nations rejoicing in peace and harmony can be argued, as it is evident that there were increases in global conflict after the first Olympic Games in 1896. This could be justified knowing that as global interactions increase there is a greater risk of conflict. I do not concur that the Olympic Games would produce negative influences never less enough to cause global disruption.
Perhaps the increase in technology, foreign affairs, and transportation would influence conflicts such like genocides and nuclear war, but not the predominately adored Olympic games. In his article, Macaray mentioned that large populations of people living in poverty were displaced in preparation for the 2016 games in Rio. This is an immoral and unjust action, which could be inverted if the government agrees to provide shelter and welfare for these people. Countries that cannot support the financial strain of the Olympics should asses the financial risks of preparing for the event and bring “honor” to their nation by not submerging themselves in debt.
David Macaray does have rather persuasive points on the Olympics being some would say useless or a failure to its own purpose. He evaluates how the Olympics bring great debt to the countries that host these big events. Although all his statements may be true this magnificent event has changed the world as we know it today. It may have not served its purpose of creating some sort of complete world peace but it did set a non-limiting goal of competition globally. How many children have said "I want to go to the Olympics when I grow up". This sets a goal to strive to be the best from when children aren’t even in school yet. They can’t comprehend much but they do know they want to be the person getting the big shiny gold medal. The Olympics is a gathering of the most elite people from all over the world to compete and see who is the absolute best of that time. It may not completely stop wars and genocides but it is a symbol of peace in some sort of way. No matter what skin tone or what language you speak you all understand one thing and that the way to play the game. There are no boundaries which us as human being strive to reach. It may be tough on the pocket but without these games we don’t have anything to strive for other than money. The Olympics are the true definition of self-achievement, bettering yourself and being the best of the best with no skin tone for leverage.
I agree with Jenifer. David Macaray believes that the Olympics are supposed to eliminate all wars and prejudice. Sports have the ability to do many great things for people. However, war and prejudice will always exist. But for the days that the Olympics are held, the nations involved have a great increase in national pride. Not knowing anything about the sport but just wanting for your country to win brings everyone together. The competitive nature of us all surfaces and unites a country which is going through difficult economic and political times. For example, the sports I watch regularly are soccer, football, baseball, and basketball. When the Olympics are on, I become the ultimate fan of hockey, bobsleigh, curling, figure skating and so on. My inner American comes out of me and I have something in common with the next random joe. We both have watched some sport involved in the Winter Olympics.
I agree with Jenifer and Mauricio. The Olympics may not help with world peace but it's a form of uniting athletes all over the world to compete and do their best at what they love. The Olympics have a diversity of athletes all over the world who participate and compete against one another in order for the best to win. As Jenifer said, kids admire olympians and the medals they win. The Olympics show little kids that if they work hard enough and dedicate themselves, they can reach their goals and become a champion. With the Olympics a person also gets the chance to watch or learn a different sport they may not have known of. As Mauricio said, a person can watch a different sport unlike the regular sports watched in the U.S. You can also have a conversation with a fellow individual about what the olympics presented. Although the Olympics were meant for world peace at first, conflicts among societies will continue to occur regardless, so just because the Olympics don't make the cause of world peace doesn't mean it should be abolished. Society has been used to the event of the Olympics for years and abolishing the Olympics can cause global conflicts and disagreements. The Olympics is a way of entertainment, competition, different cultural combinations and achievements in one big athletic event.
I agree with the author David Macaray because in his article he describes what the original purpose of the Olympic Games was and how the major event was intended to “promote goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding through competition”, over the years it has become very clear that this is now longer what is associated with the Olympics. Now a days when the summer Olympics come around every four years or when the winter Olympics come around every two years a major issue that comes up is the increase in terrorism in the area where it is being held and dealing with the differences in their cultural views. An example of these types of issues that causes the complete opposite of the original purpose of the Olympics is the issue that arose in the Sochi Olympics in Russia this year and their problem with accepting homosexual athletes and journalists. The only real benefits that come from hosting the Olympic every two or four years is that the sponsors from the events get rich from the exposure their brand gets however the common people of the country of where it gets sponsored are the ones who suffer such as what will happen to the people of Rio because of the upcoming 2016 Olympic games in Rio according to the article.
I agree with Jackie, although the article discussed the positives of the Olympics, such as, goodwill, harmony and a strong understanding of the competition, today many things have changed since then. The Olympic sports have brought out the worst in the competitors and their countries. Instead of uniting in good harmony they are discriminating against homosexual athletes, while greedy sponsors make money of this event.
In addition to my statement , sponsors weren't the only greedy people who benefitted from the Olympics, hotels and taxi services also made a lot of money from the Olympics
I agree with author David Macaray that Olympic sports should be abolished because it's gone from its objective being promoting goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding through competition, to the promotion of racial tension. Two monumental World Wars, atomic bombs & various genocides have taken place & this has utterly ruined the main goal behind the Olympics. The Inaugural Olympics of 1896 has been cited as the most violent century in history. It may unite athletes, buts it's raised tensions between various countries & promote competition.
I agree with the author because he has brought to everyone’s attention that the original goal of the Olympics has strayed away, which seems like the elephant in the room. The idea was to remove the politics, the prejudices,social barriers, and create a mutual respect; instead it has become a shame. Although, the local venues, taxi companies etc. may benefit; there are countries that have hosted the Olympics in debt and are turning into ruins just for an event. Like most things today that originally may have started for the greater good, others have turned into just another paycheck and razed the future and image of the Olympics.
I agree with mauricio's comment, David Macaray does push the idea of the Olympics being something more of a burden then a positive achievement for nations around the globe. I feel that if we get rid of the Olympics then we would be causing more then we could understand. By having the Olympics it still shows that everyone around the world can still come together, and participate in social events without having any worrys of any major disputes. It's a tradition that people around the world were following for many years, and traditions are apart of all cultures.Olympics bring people together and form fun rivalries between countries, all vying for a top spot among the world's athletes. The Olympics have been around for thousands of years, and have even taken place during times of war, which shows that people are still willing to come together. To get rid of them would be an absolute disgrace.
David Macaray brings up several interesting points about the Olympics that probably caused most readers to reevaluate the need for the Olympics. Although the games help to boost nationalism, I do not think that they promote “goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding” anymore. Macaray’s economic arguments are probably the most convincing. Every nation that has ever hosted the summer Olympic games has gone into debt as a result. Only private businesses, such as the hotels and taxi services Lilian mentioned, profit during the games. NBC easily made back the $2 billion they paid for the rights to broadcast the 2010 Winter Olympic games through advertising alone. I found it interesting that Macaray did not make a social argument as to why the Olympics no longer fulfills its original purpose of bringing nations together. Like Macaray suggests, communities can achieve the same results more effectively on a much smaller scale, but watching a high school track meet take place a few feet away from you does not seem to yield the same effects as cheering for a runner dressed in red, white, and blue through a television set. This is similar to the geographic argument found in the article. The Olympics served a different purpose when you had to physically be there to experience them. Not only were you watching a sporting event, you were also experiencing an entirely different culture in that year’s Olympics host country.
I have to agree with Alexyss. I don't believe that the Olympics still hold the same effect they once did. I understand that they do help to show our country as well as others, different cultures, but I don't think that they hold the same amount of value. Another point that Alexyss spoke anbout was the fact that these countries did end up in debt due to the funding for the Olympics. That is a huge issue in which the country that host the Olympics has to deal with. So is hosting a the Olympics worth going into debt?
I agree with Jason. The Olympics is the only form of competition between countries that isn't war now a days. It brings us together and allows people to get together every two years to watch and, the competitors every four years to prepare and participate. I don't consider the Olympics to be a burden, I consider it to be something for everyone to look forward to. Getting rid of the Olympics is just going to cause a lot of problems, controversy, and unnecessary international disputes.
i do not believe that the Olympics should be banned because it is just a healthy competition between different countries that comes once every four years. Even though the Olympics are fun to watch, i do agree with Macaray's point that it does not promote "goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding" as much as it did before. The Olympics are simply still here for entertainment and to make a huge profit. Getting rid of the Olympics would just be a burden for the people who enjoy watching it to root for their countries... also the removal of the Olympics could potentially result in tension between countries which is not necessary in times like this.
I agree with Jeannine, the Olympics shouldn't be banned because it brings together the many nations of the world, in a peaceful, friendly competition, and also promotes nationalism in a good way through this competition, keeping a healthy competitive air about, rather than war being the source of nationalism. The Olympics is also beneficial to the economy in the country the event is being held in because the tourists and people going to the event often go to the local stores to purchase anything they may need, and souvenirs from their trip.
I agree to some point with the author about the Olympics but I do not feel it should be banned. Macaray states the purpose of the games were to promote goodwill, harmony, leave out prejudice, violence, and politics in past Olympics it has seen many of what Macaray says the Olympics has failed to do. in the pass there has been call for boycotts such as the 1936 Summer and Winter Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany although they were awarded the right to host the games prior to the Nazis rise to power 2 years earlier. the games were notable for the banning by the Nazis of Germans who were of Jewish and Roma (Gypsies) ancestry the boycotts were unsuccessful. Should Germany at the time have hosted it with the Nazis showing acts of discrimination. During the Cold War Era the issue of Communism vs. Democracy meant that the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics were banned by the United States and other nations for Soviet involvement in Afghanistan. 4 years later at the 1934 Los Angles Summer Olympics by the Soviet Union and 15 other nations members were boycotted members of the Eastern Bloc formed the Friendship Games in response. recent Olympics such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics were boycotted for China's human rights record in response to Tibetan disturbances and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were called for boycott by Georgia for Russia's participation in the 2008 South Ossetia War. Violence has also been seen in the Olympics most notably in the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics known as the Munich Massacre when a Palestinian terrorist group Black September held hostage and killed all 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team which stemmed from Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is still ongoing today. with the intentions of the Olympics to promote harmony and keep out violence and politics these events cast shadows of doubt. However I don't believe they should be abolished the Olympics occurring every four years for both summer and winter games many things change and tension between nations exist even before the Olympics begin when ever they are decided. the Olympics purpose is to promote harmony whether nations end up in conflict are not their fault between those 4 years many factors can cause conflict. the Olympics is an event to showcase athleticism and the cultures of different nations and showed not be blamed for some issues. However they should do better when deciding who will host the games so their intentions of harmony are not scrutinized.
I agree with Jorge that the Olympic Games should not be abolished, but he brought a good point when he stated that nations often boycott the games when hosted in specific nations rather than participate and promote harmony. I found it interesting that boycotting the games was such a common practice, but I think that the boycotts are in vein given that one nation out of 204 leaves no noticeable impression on me.
In any case, I think that at the very least the Olympic Games help promote international awareness. At the very least I now know that Sochi is a place. To anyone who passionately watches the Olympics, they will know that NBC plays somewhat educational programs about the hosting country while there are no games to report on. The games shouldn't be banned largely due to the way it connects the world through education of other cultures.
I agree with David Macaray's argument to an extent. The initial intention of the Olympic Games were to bring great harmony amongst the nations, and I believe it still does. Athletes from all over the world compete for their nation for the entertainment of us . What are sports without competition? Yes nationalism rises in each nation but there has never been an act of war against another nation due to the fact they were beaten. Each athlete in the Olympics are amongst the best in what they do. What more can one ask for than to see each international event competed by every nation involved? Another statement given by Macaray that I disagree with is that the country hosting the Olympics goes into debt. Now , the Olympics has always been an international attraction. When hundreds of thousands of people are watching there events, they are bound to buy merchandise from those selling. This not only boosts the economy of that nation, but shows peace as other nations are now supporting the economy of the hosts. I do not believe the Olympics should ever end just based of my experiences there. Not to mention I wish to eventually compete there.
I agree with author David Macaray that the Olympics should be abolished. The Olympic games was established as an worldwide event whose goal was “to promote goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding through competition” (article). However, as the history passed a century in which many world-changing affairs happened, such as WWI, WWII, independences of many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as the multiple industrial revolutions, the atmosphere of the Olympics which used to be pure has been altered deliberately by us.
ReplyDeleteIn modern days, the Olympic games becomes an exposition in which the hosting country would take the chance to show its best aspects of the nation in front of the audiences and visitors from all over the world. As many people strongly believe, holding an Olympic games would bring a lot of economic income to the hosting country mostly through tourism and exports after the games end. However, the reality is that “Almost every country who has hosted a Summer Olympics has incurred debilitating debt” (article). As far as I know about the Beijing Olympic Games held in 2008, the Chinese government invested billions of dollar in building new massive stadiums, such as the Bird Nest and the Water Cube, improving public utilities for, superficially speaking, the convenience of visitors and citizens, but, in reality, leaving a good impression to the foreign visitors, such as updating Beijing’s entire public transportation system including the bus and the subway while fixing the fare to the lowest ever, and building shelters for homeless people who used to hanging around in the city. The another big investment was applied to temporarily solve the severe issue, the air pollution, which still came back to Beijing after the Olympics ended when the government stopped investing money to keep the air clean. Did the Olympics bring any positive impact on the economy? Yes, I don’t want to deny it. But it’s too small to be noticed when it’s compared to the staggering cost.
From his article, David Macaray conveys an abhorring tone against the conceived perception of the Olympics. This perception, shared by most people, delivers the notion that the Olympic Games offer the world an opportunity to rejoice and establish equal grounds amongst nations. During this occasion, various countries would compete to proclaim their integrity, pride, and prestige through sports, as the world witnesses their performance. However, the notion of nations rejoicing in peace and harmony can be argued, as it is evident that there were increases in global conflict after the first Olympic Games in 1896. This could be justified knowing that as global interactions increase there is a greater risk of conflict. I do not concur that the Olympic Games would produce negative influences never less enough to cause global disruption.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the increase in technology, foreign affairs, and transportation would influence conflicts such like genocides and nuclear war, but not the predominately adored Olympic games. In his article, Macaray mentioned that large populations of people living in poverty were displaced in preparation for the 2016 games in Rio. This is an immoral and unjust action, which could be inverted if the government agrees to provide shelter and welfare for these people. Countries that cannot support the financial strain of the Olympics should asses the financial risks of preparing for the event and bring “honor” to their nation by not submerging themselves in debt.
David Macaray does have rather persuasive points on the Olympics being some would say useless or a failure to its own purpose. He evaluates how the Olympics bring great debt to the countries that host these big events. Although all his statements may be true this magnificent event has changed the world as we know it today. It may have not served its purpose of creating some sort of complete world peace but it did set a non-limiting goal of competition globally. How many children have said "I want to go to the Olympics when I grow up". This sets a goal to strive to be the best from when children aren’t even in school yet. They can’t comprehend much but they do know they want to be the person getting the big shiny gold medal. The Olympics is a gathering of the most elite people from all over the world to compete and see who is the absolute best of that time. It may not completely stop wars and genocides but it is a symbol of peace in some sort of way. No matter what skin tone or what language you speak you all understand one thing and that the way to play the game. There are no boundaries which us as human being strive to reach. It may be tough on the pocket but without these games we don’t have anything to strive for other than money. The Olympics are the true definition of self-achievement, bettering yourself and being the best of the best with no skin tone for leverage.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenifer. David Macaray believes that the Olympics are supposed to eliminate all wars and prejudice. Sports have the ability to do many great things for people. However, war and prejudice will always exist. But for the days that the Olympics are held, the nations involved have a great increase in national pride. Not knowing anything about the sport but just wanting for your country to win brings everyone together. The competitive nature of us all surfaces and unites a country which is going through difficult economic and political times. For example, the sports I watch regularly are soccer, football, baseball, and basketball. When the Olympics are on, I become the ultimate fan of hockey, bobsleigh, curling, figure skating and so on. My inner American comes out of me and I have something in common with the next random joe. We both have watched some sport involved in the Winter Olympics.
DeleteI agree with Jenifer and Mauricio. The Olympics may not help with world peace but it's a form of uniting athletes all over the world to compete and do their best at what they love. The Olympics have a diversity of athletes all over the world who participate and compete against one another in order for the best to win. As Jenifer said, kids admire olympians and the medals they win. The Olympics show little kids that if they work hard enough and dedicate themselves, they can reach their goals and become a champion. With the Olympics a person also gets the chance to watch or learn a different sport they may not have known of. As Mauricio said, a person can watch a different sport unlike the regular sports watched in the U.S. You can also have a conversation with a fellow individual about what the olympics presented. Although the Olympics were meant for world peace at first, conflicts among societies will continue to occur regardless, so just because the Olympics don't make the cause of world peace doesn't mean it should be abolished. Society has been used to the event of the Olympics for years and abolishing the Olympics can cause global conflicts and disagreements. The Olympics is a way of entertainment, competition, different cultural combinations and achievements in one big athletic event.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author David Macaray because in his article he describes what the original purpose of the Olympic Games was and how the major event was intended to “promote goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding through competition”, over the years it has become very clear that this is now longer what is associated with the Olympics. Now a days when the summer Olympics come around every four years or when the winter Olympics come around every two years a major issue that comes up is the increase in terrorism in the area where it is being held and dealing with the differences in their cultural views. An example of these types of issues that causes the complete opposite of the original purpose of the Olympics is the issue that arose in the Sochi Olympics in Russia this year and their problem with accepting homosexual athletes and journalists. The only real benefits that come from hosting the Olympic every two or four years is that the sponsors from the events get rich from the exposure their brand gets however the common people of the country of where it gets sponsored are the ones who suffer such as what will happen to the people of Rio because of the upcoming 2016 Olympic games in Rio according to the article.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jackie, although the article discussed the positives of the Olympics, such as, goodwill, harmony and a strong understanding of the competition, today many things have changed since then. The Olympic sports have brought out the worst in the competitors and their countries. Instead of uniting in good harmony they are discriminating against homosexual athletes, while greedy sponsors make money of this event.
DeleteIn addition to my statement , sponsors weren't the only greedy people who benefitted from the Olympics, hotels and taxi services also made a lot of money from the Olympics
ReplyDeleteI agree with author David Macaray that Olympic sports should be abolished because it's gone from its objective being promoting goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding through competition, to the promotion of racial tension. Two monumental World Wars, atomic bombs & various genocides have taken place & this has utterly ruined the main goal behind the Olympics. The Inaugural Olympics of 1896 has been cited as the most violent century in history. It may unite athletes, buts it's raised tensions between various countries & promote competition.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author because he has brought to everyone’s attention that the original goal of the Olympics has strayed away, which seems like the elephant in the room. The idea was to remove the politics, the prejudices,social barriers, and create a mutual respect; instead it has become a shame. Although, the local venues, taxi companies etc. may benefit; there are countries that have hosted the Olympics in debt and are turning into ruins just for an event. Like most things today that originally may have started for the greater good, others have turned into just another paycheck and razed the future and image of the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteI agree with mauricio's comment, David Macaray does push the idea of the Olympics being something more of a burden then a positive achievement for nations around the globe. I feel that if we get rid of the Olympics then we would be causing more then we could understand. By having the Olympics it still shows that everyone around the world can still come together, and participate in social events without having any worrys of any major disputes. It's a tradition that people around the world were following for many years, and traditions are apart of all cultures.Olympics bring people together and form fun rivalries between countries, all vying for a top spot among the world's athletes. The Olympics have been around for thousands of years, and have even taken place during times of war, which shows that people are still willing to come together. To get rid of them would be an absolute disgrace.
ReplyDeleteDavid Macaray brings up several interesting points about the Olympics that probably caused most readers to reevaluate the need for the Olympics. Although the games help to boost nationalism, I do not think that they promote “goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding” anymore. Macaray’s economic arguments are probably the most convincing. Every nation that has ever hosted the summer Olympic games has gone into debt as a result. Only private businesses, such as the hotels and taxi services Lilian mentioned, profit during the games. NBC easily made back the $2 billion they paid for the rights to broadcast the 2010 Winter Olympic games through advertising alone. I found it interesting that Macaray did not make a social argument as to why the Olympics no longer fulfills its original purpose of bringing nations together. Like Macaray suggests, communities can achieve the same results more effectively on a much smaller scale, but watching a high school track meet take place a few feet away from you does not seem to yield the same effects as cheering for a runner dressed in red, white, and blue through a television set. This is similar to the geographic argument found in the article. The Olympics served a different purpose when you had to physically be there to experience them. Not only were you watching a sporting event, you were also experiencing an entirely different culture in that year’s Olympics host country.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Alexyss. I don't believe that the Olympics still hold the same effect they once did. I understand that they do help to show our country as well as others, different cultures, but I don't think that they hold the same amount of value. Another point that Alexyss spoke anbout was the fact that these countries did end up in debt due to the funding for the Olympics. That is a huge issue in which the country that host the Olympics has to deal with. So is hosting a the Olympics worth going into debt?
DeleteI agree with Jason. The Olympics is the only form of competition between countries that isn't war now a days. It brings us together and allows people to get together every two years to watch and, the competitors every four years to prepare and participate. I don't consider the Olympics to be a burden, I consider it to be something for everyone to look forward to. Getting rid of the Olympics is just going to cause a lot of problems, controversy, and unnecessary international disputes.
ReplyDeletei do not believe that the Olympics should be banned because it is just a healthy competition between different countries that comes once every four years. Even though the Olympics are fun to watch, i do agree with Macaray's point that it does not promote "goodwill, harmony, and greater understanding" as much as it did before. The Olympics are simply still here for entertainment and to make a huge profit. Getting rid of the Olympics would just be a burden for the people who enjoy watching it to root for their countries... also the removal of the Olympics could potentially result in tension between countries which is not necessary in times like this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeannine, the Olympics shouldn't be banned because it brings together the many nations of the world, in a peaceful, friendly competition, and also promotes nationalism in a good way through this competition, keeping a healthy competitive air about, rather than war being the source of nationalism. The Olympics is also beneficial to the economy in the country the event is being held in because the tourists and people going to the event often go to the local stores to purchase anything they may need, and souvenirs from their trip.
ReplyDeleteI agree to some point with the author about the Olympics but I do not feel it should be banned. Macaray states the purpose of the games were to promote goodwill, harmony, leave out prejudice, violence, and politics in past Olympics it has seen many of what Macaray says the Olympics has failed to do. in the pass there has been call for boycotts such as the 1936 Summer and Winter Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany although they were awarded the right to host the games prior to the Nazis rise to power 2 years earlier. the games were notable for the banning by the Nazis of Germans who were of Jewish and Roma (Gypsies) ancestry the boycotts were unsuccessful. Should Germany at the time have hosted it with the Nazis showing acts of discrimination. During the Cold War Era the issue of Communism vs. Democracy meant that the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics were banned by the United States and other nations for Soviet involvement in Afghanistan. 4 years later at the 1934 Los Angles Summer Olympics by the Soviet Union and 15 other nations members were boycotted members of the Eastern Bloc formed the Friendship Games in response. recent Olympics such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics were boycotted for China's human rights record in response to Tibetan disturbances and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were called for boycott by Georgia for Russia's participation in the 2008 South Ossetia War. Violence has also been seen in the Olympics most notably in the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics known as the Munich Massacre when a Palestinian terrorist group Black September held hostage and killed all 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team which stemmed from Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is still ongoing today. with the intentions of the Olympics to promote harmony and keep out violence and politics these events cast shadows of doubt.
ReplyDeleteHowever I don't believe they should be abolished the Olympics occurring every four years for both summer and winter games many things change and tension between nations exist even before the Olympics begin when ever they are decided. the Olympics purpose is to promote harmony whether nations end up in conflict are not their fault between those 4 years many factors can cause conflict. the Olympics is an event to showcase athleticism and the cultures of different nations and showed not be blamed for some issues. However they should do better when deciding who will host the games so their intentions of harmony are not scrutinized.
I agree with Jorge that the Olympic Games should not be abolished, but he brought a good point when he stated that nations often boycott the games when hosted in specific nations rather than participate and promote harmony. I found it interesting that boycotting the games was such a common practice, but I think that the boycotts are in vein given that one nation out of 204 leaves no noticeable impression on me.
DeleteIn any case, I think that at the very least the Olympic Games help promote international awareness. At the very least I now know that Sochi is a place. To anyone who passionately watches the Olympics, they will know that NBC plays somewhat educational programs about the hosting country while there are no games to report on. The games shouldn't be banned largely due to the way it connects the world through education of other cultures.
I agree with David Macaray's argument to an extent. The initial intention of the Olympic Games were to bring great harmony amongst the nations, and I believe it still does. Athletes from all over the world compete for their nation for the entertainment of us . What are sports without competition? Yes nationalism rises in each nation but there has never been an act of war against another nation due to the fact they were beaten. Each athlete in the Olympics are amongst the best in what they do. What more can one ask for than to see each international event competed by every nation involved? Another statement given by Macaray that I disagree with is that the country hosting the Olympics goes into debt. Now , the Olympics has always been an international attraction. When hundreds of thousands of people are watching there events, they are bound to buy merchandise from those selling. This not only boosts the economy of that nation, but shows peace as other nations are now supporting the economy of the hosts. I do not believe the Olympics should ever end just based of my experiences there. Not to mention I wish to eventually compete there.
ReplyDelete