What if all of the money spent on the Olympics went toward buying food for the hungry and poor? Or what if it was spent on better education?
What other uses could Olympic funds be put toward?
References (articles that discuss Olympic spending): GOP Spat Began with Olympics; McCain Backs Olympic Bid, but Watch Spending
Saturday, August 9, 2008
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3 comments:
I live in a country where it does seem extravagant
But...
For me it's like this, even though we have to prioritize, we still buy ice- cream and sports gears and musical instruments for our children. Ok, I admit it, I am biased, being a little dizzy from Jamaica's stunning performance; sweeping the sprint events and walking away with 10 medals five of which are gold.
Then again, is there another event on earth that brings 200 odd countries together in a spirit (by and large) of camaraderie? This is interesting, I'll be back.
Yes, where was I? Whether the US or any country should spend billions on the Olympics.
I read the articles and it seems that McCain over-stated how much was actually spent at Utah, and that further a large portion of the spending went into infrastructure that would benefit communities long after the Olympics. Also Utah turned out to be financially successful inspite of the price tag. Plus the money didn't all come from the public purse. Further McCain is not opposed to hosting the Olympics 8 years from now, he's just cautioning against over spending.
So could could the billions be put to better use? On the one hand yes, because there will always be social programmes that need urgent attention. But on the other hand, I don't see it simply as senseless squandering. The Olympics are (in my opinion)a wonder of the world and it's an honour for any nation to host it. Hosting it comes at a cost, it's up to the host nation to decide how much to spend.
You raise some interesting points. Thanks for your input:)
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