To Ron:  I shan't be watching it at all because:

1. Competitive sport of any kind fails to interest me. Sport has become another religion, and to me ALL religion is bad news. (At Right: 2004 Olympic Athens photo of men wearing tight fitted body suits in tribute to the original nude games. Photo not shown on American TV, naturally. To see the photo in full, Click Here.)

2. The Olympics, despite its - and its supporters - claims that it isn't political and ought not be politicised, is a highly political tool used by host countries to improve their image on the world political map.

The politicking indulged in to win the hosting bids is outrageous and costs untold millions that could be far better spent on many worthier causes.

It has been this political since at least 1936 when Hitler's Germany used it as such a tool.

3. It has become so utterly competitive that it has had an undeniably major role in the (deliberate or not - that's immaterial) furtherance of the use of performance-enhancing drugs, thereby annihilating the supposed fair competition for which it purportedly stands.

4. The IOC - along with many national OCs (the Australian one being an example in point) - is corrupt to the teeth; its members have time and again been caught taking - and giving - favours not commensurate with fair and honest dealings.

5. The Games (that is its organisers, judges, and competitors) have a demonstrated history of homophobia. One example of this is the IOC's past repeated denial of the use, by Gay Games organisers, of the name "Gay Olympics" - despite having allowed other events to use the "Olympics" name. Other examples include the past exclusion - by blatantly homophobic means - of gay athletes from competing.

6. The Games presents an ever-riskier target for terrorists and other extremists; every four years, hundreds of thousands of international tourists gather in one city and present what must be a huge temptation for terrorists, such as we saw at the Munich Olympics, as was feared at the Atlanta Games, and will, the way the world is progressing (REgressing?) be seen again.

7. The original Greek games involved a cessation of hostilities between normally warring factions, tribes, city-states; today's games do nothing of the sort, and only risk exacerbating the world's woes.

8. What China has done to Tibet since 1949 is absolutely unforgivable. From then until now there has been a systematic oppression of the Tibetan people by a brutal regime that tolerates no divergence from official orthodoxy. China invaded Tibet and took over its governance for China's "greater good" - certainly not for the Tibetans' advantage. To maintain such oppression, and suppression of free speech and self-government, in this day and age is just not to be countenanced. It is no more justifiable - perhaps even less so - than Bush's invasion of Iraq (and that takes some beating).

9. Finally, the original Olympics were contested NAKED. Strip today's athletes bare and I could be tempted to forgo all the above objections ... . Well, not quite. But I'm sure you see what I mean. :lol:

Regards, Gordon

From Ron: Your comments on the Olympics are welcomed and will be posted.