The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It has become fashionable to diss the Olympic Games. They stand accused of being, among other things, too commercialized, too politicized, too corrupt, too expensive, too elitist, too nationalist and too focused on winning at all cost. As well, with the Games taking place in Beijing this year, media attention has turned to the violations of human rights, the absence of press freedoms and the horrendous air pollution in China. In this negative framework, it is easy to forget that the quadrennial Games are actually a cause for celebration. Revived in 1896, the Olympics have done more good than harm. It is the one event that brings the world together, with even the smallest of nations competing on the same playing field as the superpowers. And they provide a venue where the superpowers can compete without firing weapons. See the Games as a substitute for war. While the Olympics did not prevent World Wars I and II, one could argue that they helped keep the Cold War from developing into a hot one. The Olympics are also a celebration of youth. There are some wonderful exceptions to the rule Ð such as Canadian equestrian Ian Millar (age 61) and American swimmer Dara Torres (41) Ð but the vast majority of Olympians are under 30. In a world where power generally rests in the hands of people over 50, the Olympics provide an opportunity for a younger generation to take centre stage. In addition, the Olympics let women compete on the same stage and with the same audience as men Ð an opportunity that rarely occurs outside the Games. Finally, the Olympics give us a chance to see events that are usually ignored by the mass media Ð such as volleyball, rowing, canoeing, swimming, diving, gymnastics and weightlifting Ð and to revel in the sheer strength and beauty of these sports. The Olympics wonÕt turn China into a free and open society; that is asking too much of them. Nor is it reasonable to expect a return to the halcyon days when the Games were much less commercial and the athletes were amateurs (supposedly). But the Olympics can still be enjoyed for what they are. Let the Games begin.
