Sorry, but Silly Olympic Sports Won't Save the World

Luge and ice dancing don't, in fact, promote peace among nations
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 8, 2010 11:44 AM CST
Sorry, but Silly Olympic Sports Won't Save the World
In this April 7, 2009, file photo, Canada's skip Kevin Martin follows a shot against Switzerland as Marc Kennedy, left, and Ben Hebert sweep at the men's world curling championship in New Brunswick.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Andrew Vaughan, File)

If you listen to organizers, the Olympics is more than just a sporting competition: It's the next step toward world peace, a "social movement" that bridges differences of race and politics. Nonsense, writes Jason Zengerle in New York. "When was the last time any country—much less a non-state actor like al-Qaeda—honored the so-called 'Olympic Truce' by ceasing their Predator strikes or suicide bombings?"

The idea that otherwise uninspiring sports like the luge or curling become more interesting when "nations" compete is "absurd," he continues. "In the end, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat should and must belong to those who compete, not their governments." But that won't stop anyone from watching—because, after all, "if we don’t cheer on our country’s ice dancers, we’re not only unpatriotic, we’re against world peace."
(More 2010 Vancouver Olympics stories.)

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