Olympics

The news media are getting all wound up into a frenzy about the Olympic Games, but the overlay of jingoistic nationalism makes it hard for me to get excited.

I do not understand why a sports event in which most athletes participate as individuals has been turned into a competition between nations, especially when ability in many athletic sports depends on accidents of birth. Athletic sports are a competition between people, not nations.

The concept of an individual athlete representing their nation is quite odd. Competitors at the Olympics may feel greater motivation, because they think they are representing their nation, but how can they be my representative. An elected politician cannot represent me, so how can an unelected athlete be my representative. If they knew how unathletic I am, they would not want to represent me. I do not know them, so they cannot represent me.

The competitors do all the hard work of training, but nations tend to steal some of their glory. I am very wary about cheering my national team. I do not feel comfortable about saying “We won” when all I did was sit on a couch and perhaps cheer.

The Olympics are supposed to be a competition for amateurs, but sports nationalism has turned many athletes into semi-professionals by enabling them to become sports beneficiaries of the state.

A sporting competition between nations does not make much sense, when nations had different sized populations. Only a few nations have sufficient population to be a contender for the most gold medals.

Why do nations need to prove that they are better than other nations. Germany dominated the 1936 games, but then went on to do great evil, so winning gold medals does not signify anything about the goodness of a nation.

National pride is the thin end of the wedge of nationalism. Nationalism dominated the twentieth century and terrible evils were done in the name of nationalism. I suspect that people who get wrapped up in their nation's sports team, will be more open to the militaristic adventures of their nationalist governments.

International Sport is the maidservant of Nationalism.
Nationalism is the handmaiden of Totalitarian Democracy.

I hate the way that sport has been captured by nationalism.
I dislike the success or sports men and women being used to buttress the pretensions of the nation state.