Olympics

[Ash!]

I suppose this should be for a sports forum if we ever get one. Question what are peoples feelings on the UK offering a bid for the Olympics. When I ask the question its not necessarily from a sporting point of view. More I suppose from an economic view. Well whatever view really. I know it would be good to regenerate certain parts of East London. Surely there are other parts of the UK that need more regeneration than Bloody London and the south east.

2 things got up my nose about it today though.

1. Listening to the radio going into work this morning. 2 stories as follows. The government will allow schools to use essential monies for building work and repairs to be used as part of the wage budget for this year only. Next story; the Government are expected to announce their backing to a £2billion plus bid for the Olympics. Kind of put things in perspective for me rightly or wrongly.

2. As usuall the press are having a field day with this. As one wagg reported on Sky news this afternoon. This is the greatest sporting event Britain has ever tried to put on. Everything before it pales into comparison. Which I took a bit of offence at. I know the commonwealth games doesnt come close to the Olympics but Manchester gave a bloody fine account for itself last summer. Without which I am sure any London bid would not be as strong anyway.

Whats everyones thought on it. Me I am not arsed as I think its more to do with money and vote winning rather than the prestige of holding the games. Discuss

 

[ECA]

we do have a sports forum :-]

 

[Daffeh]

they'll just piss about with committee meeting and lunches, spend millions of pounds of public money, and end up with something shit like the Millenium Dome, or the Wembley fiasco.

i think Birmingham would be better if they had it somewhere other than London....centrally located, goodish transport links, and could use facillities such as the NIA and NEC.

 

[mank!]

Originally posted by Ash!
I suppose this should be for a sports forum if we ever get one.

We have a sports forum you spaz.


I actually don't think we'll host it and the bid will be fruitless.

 

[Ash!]

Re: Re: Olympics

Originally posted by mank!
We have a sports forum you spaz.


I actually don't think we'll host it and the bid will be fruitless.

Allright Allright Chillout. everyone was going on the other day when you posted that footie post about Arsehole Whinger we should have a sports forum. And Anywho I was trying to come from a different angle than sport so there

 

[Summo]

THIS IS BORING OLYMPICS IS BORING THIS IS BORING

 

[kameleon]

In some ways I agree with you;

We have a massive homeless problem in this country, most of it due to the "right to buy" fiasco intoduced by the tories. How any governement can justify spending £365 million on a useless piece of architecture when there are people living from hand to mouth in shop doorways and under bridges is beyond me.

Spending £2 billion on hosting the olympic games falls into this category for me. I live in Manchester, When we hosted the commonwealth games in 2002 the people who benefited from it the least where the homeless of Manchester, who were herded away from public view.

The sooner this country gets its prorities right, i.e. looking after the welfare of our own citizens first, before offering asylum to murdering Iraqi soldiers who (shame) are fleeing persecution in their own country for crimes against humanity, the better.

 

[bodhi]

Originally posted by Summo
THIS IS BORING OLYMPICS IS BORING THIS IS BORING

In 9 words Summo has managed to speak more sense than the rest of you combined.


Although i do like Daffeh's idea of having it in Brum. But only if they demolish Birmingham and build a big Olympic Arena.

 

[ECA]

I like bits of the olympics.

The closing ceremony is good as it marks when I can watch TV again.

 

[bodhi]

I'm still highly dubious of anyone who classes ugly anorexic women running round in circles as entertainment.


Having said that I still believe in only running when being chased. Or if drunk and going to the Cash Machine.

 

[dysfunction]

I cant believe my council tax bill is going to be increased to help fund this thing...

Thats just sucks!!

I'm all for the Olympics being in London but as they said on TV, the whole of Britain is going to benefit so why should I be Londoners be the ones to pay?

 

[xane]

Originally posted by Ash!
I know it would be good to regenerate certain parts of East London. Surely there are other parts of the UK that need more regeneration than Bloody London and the south east.

I live very close to where the stadium may well be rebuilt, I cycle past it every day on my way to work.

East London does need generation, but not in a "new homes and sports facilities" kind of way, more a "lock up the fucking drug dealers" kind of way. If that problem gets sorted as a result of the Olympic bid then I am all for it.

Originally posted by Ash!
The government will allow schools to use essential monies for building work and repairs to be used as part of the wage budget for this year only. Next story; the Government are expected to announce their backing to a £2billion plus bid for the Olympics. Kind of put things in perspective for me rightly or wrongly.

Well, its apples and oranges. The key point of the Olympic bid, as opposed to more suitable comparisons like the Dome, is that long term it will generate more wealth than is spent on it, something already happening in Sydney.

I do agree with you though, but government spending on schools is another matter.

The only major concern is the cost to local people, not that I disagree with it because local people will ultimately benefit, but that local authorities round here have a massive problem with unpaid taxes and such, in the end they may well do what they've always done, just charge the people who do pay even more to cover the cost of the freeloaders.

 

[Ash!]

Re: Re: Olympics

Originally posted by xane

Well, its apples and oranges. The key point of the Olympic bid, as opposed to more suitable comparisons like the Dome, is that long term it will generate more wealth than is spent on it, something already happening in Sydney.
.

Isnt Sydney having problems at the moment though. Dont quote me but I am sure. The stadium is never really used and it was on a 100 year mortgage or something.

 

[Lester]

Build it underground. Some mad mullah*will fly a plane into it otherwise. FACT.




*This is a crass generalisation. These are not the views of Game.net who in fact quite like mullahs. Especially the fruit corner ones.


Although the little balls are nice too.

 

[dysfunction]

Re: Re: Re: Olympics

Originally posted by Ash!
Isnt Sydney having problems at the moment though. Dont quote me but I am sure. The stadium is never really used and it was on a 100 year mortgage or something.

I doubt that somehow. Since 1984 the olympic cities have all broken even....or made a profit.

 

[Lester]

Prove it.

 

[dysfunction]

Originally posted by Lester
Prove it.

Show me they have made a loss

 

[Xtro]

I couldn't give a fuck about the Olympics and I give less of a fuck about London.

 

[lynchet]

Just pisses me off that yet again as soon as its London rather than Birmingham or Manchester etc, the government and press are creaming themselves over how wonderful it will be --- not quite the same when other UK cities bid.

Just like the Millenium Exhibition really --- muti multi multi million pound scheme in London with no guarantee of success (Dome) --- or far cheaper in Birminghm which already has most of the facilities, experience and road, rail and air links direct to site ------ hmmm which did they go for.

Ditto new English football stadium !

 

[dysfunction]

There is a lovely shiney new stadium in Cardiff :/

 

[Maljonic]

Birmingham is defo the best place; the only place that makes any sense for the most people in our country to be able to visit.

Originally posted by dysfunction
I cant believe my council tax bill is going to be increased to help fund this thing...

Thats just sucks!!

I'm all for the Olympics being in London but as they said on TV, the whole of Britain is going to benefit so why should I be Londoners be the ones to pay?

On the other hand, I did laugh at the thought of Londoners being screwed out of more money; the rich southern bastards

 

[old.RedVenom]

I can't help but feel this is another case of drastic miss-prioritisation by the government.

High visibility projects which bring international esteem are all well and good, but there's far more serious underlying problems with the country.

Rock on Labour, the peoples party.

 

[Maljonic]

Originally posted by old.RedVenom
I can't help but feel this is another case of drastic miss-prioritisation by the government.

High visibility projects which bring international esteem are all well and good, but there's far more serious underlying problems with the country.

Rock on Labour, the peoples party.

but we're all such miserable turds that we say that every time something like this comes along; like we're not alowed to enjoy stuff 'cause some of us are poor...

 

[old.RedVenom]

Originally posted by Maljonic
but we're all such miserable turds that we say that every time something like this comes along; like we're not alowed to enjoy stuff 'cause some of us are poor...

Heh, enjoy what? Enjoy hosting a sporting event that has caused our taxes to be raised, hence our quality of life declining? Enjoy something that has taken away money from our children, and our health service?

You have a TV, you can watch sport anywhere in the world You can't however use your TV to nip down the road when your feeling under the weather to have a checkup - although you might as well take it with you as you'll be waiting for hours...

-and- not all of us are actually interested in sport. Not that it makes any difference what the people thing, once elected the government do what they want anyway.

 

[Maljonic]

Originally posted by old.RedVenom
Heh, enjoy what? Enjoy hosting a sporting event that has caused our taxes to be raised, hence our quality of life declining? Enjoy something that has taken away money from our children, and our health service?

You have a TV, you can watch sport anywhere in the world You can't however use your TV to nip down the road when your feeling under the weather to have a checkup - although you might as well take it with you as you'll be waiting for hours...

-and- not all of us are actually interested in sport. Not that it makes any difference what the people thing, once elected the government do what they want anyway.

well I hate sports myself, but you've just sort of acted exactly the same way I was talking about. Taxes will be raised anyway for some reason or other and it will most likelt at least positively affect the local area.

 

[xane]

Originally posted by old.RedVenom
Heh, enjoy what? Enjoy hosting a sporting event that has caused our taxes to be raised, hence our quality of life declining? Enjoy something that has taken away money from our children, and our health service?

Quality of life is better served by locking up the little miscreants and their smack merchants that make life a misery in the East London, I'd say building an Olympic Village would go some way to doing that.

Nobody complains when some shit-ridden infested rundown estate gets sprayed over or littered with needles, but have a shiney new village and people start taking pride in it, by invoking social change against the apathetic attitude to crime you are having a knock on effect that gives "our children" a better chance and makes people healthier as a whole.

You might enjoy living in neighbourhoods plagued by drug crime, but I see that as number one problem that no amount of Education/NHS investment is going to solve.

 

[old.RedVenom]

Now call me a idealist, but rather than spending this money on a stadium to raise the one communities mindset, wouldn't it be better spent raising the overall conditions?

Housing projects to move people from the gutter to somewhere they can take pride in their surroudings.
Education to raise peoples levels of ability and interest in bettering themselves.
Employment to raise self-esteem amongst parents and give children a brighter future.
Healthcare, can always do with a helping hand. Drugs, crime, the police force....

There's a lot that can be helped with a few billion, and whilst I know most of it never will whilst people have no inclination to change (you can't say the majority of the population isn't listless and uninterested in the idea of a greater good).

That Stalin bloke had the right idea....

 

[GDW]

Originally posted by old.RedVenom


That Stalin bloke had the right idea....

..but look what he did to try and achieve it. Hes up there with Hitler imho.

 

[Maljonic]

Originally posted by old.RedVenom
Now call me a idealist, but rather than spending this money on a stadium to raise the one communities mindset, wouldn't it be better spent raising the overall conditions?

Housing projects to move people from the gutter to somewhere they can take pride in their surroudings.
Education to raise peoples levels of ability and interest in bettering themselves.
Employment to raise self-esteem amongst parents and give children a brighter future.
Healthcare, can always do with a helping hand. Drugs, crime, the police force....

There's a lot that can be helped with a few billion, and whilst I know most of it never will whilst people have no inclination to change (you can't say the majority of the population isn't listless and uninterested in the idea of a greater good).

That Stalin bloke had the right idea....

da da da da da, but these are things that should be sorted out anyway as standard; people in their local areas should be helping to put these things into operation instead of saying 'they' should do something about it. The homeless/education/health system will still be fucked up if the olympics doesn't come here and if it does it might, just might, create a slightly more positive feeling... just 'cause I'm not into sports doesn't mean I want to put a downer on it for folks that are.

Cities (note it's cities that bid, not countries) don't bid for the olympics for a laugh or merely for the image; they hope it will bring it money. A large injection of cash is always a good thing for a city.

 

[old.RedVenom]

Originally posted by GDW
..but look what he did to try and achieve it. Hes up there with Hitler imho.

Ho Chi Min, Chairman Mao, Pol Pot... they all had the right idea too. People always say that, but never consider: What about the good things Hitler did?