Olympian Hypocrisy

Wall to wall coverage of the Olympics has been for those who do not care a jot for sport a veritable month of hell as the news services have been completely co opted by the coverage and sport elevated to the headlines instead of its normal proper place after the news.

So why this obsession by the media outlets for this event and its complete domination of the airwaves and printed press? Is it because our culture loves success and achievement and wishes to champion it from the rooftops? If only..  No, this love affair with the olympics has a darker  cause. It is because it is uncorrupted and stained by commercial gain, the gold medalists do not gain directly financially from their achievements and it is seen as a triumph of statism, a state created event which can be exploited for yet further government involvement in funding. Witness all the emphasis is placed on patriotism and how we must continue to fund the athletes through taxation and gov funding.

If a love of individual success and achievement were the prime motive for the blanket coverage of the olympics I would be among the loudest champions but this as I say is clearly not the case or it would be extended across the board to all other human achievements and endeavours. Is it? Hell no. Anyone who achieves anything spectacular in the world of business is vilified as an exploiter and plunderer, ordered to 'give something back, pay swingeing taxes and make a public announcement of atonement for the sin of being successful and oustanding in his field and forced by pain of prosecution to redistribute his talents and the fruits there of to less productive competitors and not monopolise his talents for his own personal gain but instead self cripple and hobble himself to create a 'level playing field for the less capable and productive. He must also face the most evil of public denouncement and character assassination for having the temerity to be excellent and dominating his field by stint of hard work, monumental effort and creative innovative genius.

Translate such evil philosophy to sport and Mo Farah and his ilk would have to undergo amputation of a limb to allow the competition a 'fair' chance.. Such is the hatred directed towards the men of achievement in every other field than sport and specifically the olympics. Yes one can enjoy the spectacular success of individuals in Rio but do not expect it to be carried over into any other area but rather exactly what has happened, namely the Olympics being championed as a celebration of a colectivistic patriotism and  statism.