3 ms·
The Olympics are just weird. All these sports normally nobody gives a shit about but because of nationalism countries compete for medals. Olympic spirit my ass.
by MomoXenosaga 5y ago
The Olympics are just weird. All these sports normally nobody gives a shit about but because of nationalism countries compete for medals. Olympic spirit my ass.
My own country is rich enough that we can pay for a few hundred boys and girls doing gymnastics all day. But that means it isn't even a fair competition! Money buys medals.
- orbifold 5y agoIt's also extremely expensive to train for any of these sports, in figure skating in the US you pay hundreds of euros every month for coaching and access to an ice rink only to a have a tiny tiny chance to be selected as one of ~5 competitors max. That doesn't include the mandatory very expensive costumes etc.
- trhway 5y ago>nationalism countries compete for medals. Olympic spirit my ass. If i remember correctly i read some interpretation of ancient Olympics as substitution/sublimation of wars between the city-states. Just look at how the Olympic winners were met by their cities - like triumphant commanders who win battles and wars. In that sense channeling of that nationalistic craze and aggression into a competition is the original Olympic spirit. Humans are vicious/tribalistic/xenophobic/etc. and not emphatic/cooperative/etc. - thus our attempt to see Olympics as the games of the latter may be kind of misguided as it is really the games of the former.
- hoseja 5y agoHumans are both. Empathic and cooperative with their tribe, vicious and xenophobic towards other tribes. It's a perfectly cromulent survival strategy. Organized groups larger than some 200 members are a very modern thing.
- ptr2voidStar 5y agoHahaha "perfectly cromulent" - I see you! (fellow fan of the Simpsons!).
- canadianfella 5y ago> fellow fan of the Simpsons Not exactly an unknown show.