Canadian Olympic Lessons

[damonX]

Not sure than Vancouver is the best site for winter games, not that cold, with rain as likely as snow. My friend at work is from there and says this year's weather is typical.

I live in Vancouver and I must say that it is the perfect site for the Winter Games. No it doesn't snow here at all, but the snow events are all at Whistler which is actually quite far away and is probably one of the best ski resorts in the world. This is one of the few places that you can actually go golfing and skiing in the same day. The weather has been amazing. No snow and no rain. It's been great so far.

 

[damonX]

The main spender is the province which is responsible for schools, medical and social services that are currently being cut and will continue to be cut for the foreseeable future.

1.8 billion for Vancouver is a considerable amount of money but it is great to have the new rail transport through the city. However, this still leaves a massive shortage of busses necessary to supply an adequate public transit service.

Increased trade for the city does not always come with the famous "trickle down" effect that Milton Freedman and his ilk championed for the past 30 years. Both here and in the US we seem to be seeing jobless recoveries and a growing gap between rich and poor with the tax burden constantly shifting from the rich towards the poor. Spending part of the 6Billion+ for the Olympics on providing better education would be good for the economy. Spending some of it on social and assisted housing would provide a boost to the local economy with all the multiplyer effect that that produces adding to the bonus, etc. We had the choice of an economy of compassion or an economy of spectacle and we chose spectacle. That doesn't leave me feeling proud of anything irrespective of who wins the hockey.

Much of the spending is on useful public infrastructure too, highways, airports, public transit and all that, maybe even sewage upgrades. There are conflicting claims over who made money and who lost money, mostly because of who's calculating. But the majority of the cities I can account for since Moscow in 1980 claim to have made a profit. The city that hosts the Olympics right now is said to get a thirty percent increase in trade immediately. Vancouver's spending 1.8 billion bp from what I can tell. London plans on spending about 9 billion bp in 2012.

This is true. Montreal has been the only city to lose money from the olymics in the last quarter century. And that was due to errors made in appointed long trem contracts with outside companies. I am so sick of protesters it's driving me crazy. Only in Vancouver could we get the Olympics and then bitch about it while every other city in the world would kill to get them. Spending provincial and federal money to upgrade the city is in no way a waste, regardless of the intent. Now I could argue about how the games will likely stimulate the economy and make money in the long run but that isn't the point. Sure we could spend the money on other things...but you know what? We already spend more money on social welfare and healthcare than most countries in the world. What's wrong with with spending some money to bring a world class event to our world class city and showing a little pride? Protesters like to paint the Vancouver Olympic comittee as some kind of Fascist evil organization out to crush the poor and destitute. It makes me laugh. I've been dealing with these self righteous assholes and their ridiculous conspiricy theories ever since the games were appointed. Of course we could spend the money on other things. In fact, we could cut all funding for parks and recreation, school sports programs, the arts...etc, etc and use the funds to improve low income housing or the medical system. But we don't. Why? Because people like these things. They bring pleasure to us. The Olympics are an extension of this. I'm sorry if you don't share in the fun and excitement, but I for one love it. In fact most people love it. And as much as you malcontents try, we will not feel guilty about it.

 

[champagne1982]

Shane Koyczan's "We Are More"

Although we'd rather eat shit
than to say how much it stinks,
we are more than a vessel of acceptance
we simply refuse to rise to the bait...

And when the carrot swings away
its string twisted and pulled to the limit
we are more than the mule blindly biting
into the wind, we wait for the carrot's return.

Proud and strong and free
so life and love and care for our compatriots
sends the proud and strong and free
down icy paths and into the air
in joyous pursuit of all we hold high.

Let it fly in the face of derision,
disbelief and negativity to become
the peace lover, the peace keeper
and the peace maker.
_______________________

Just a reminder that we should keep it about the poetry and not the political motivations driving small minds on big committees. Idiocy...

 

[damonX]

Sorry. I didn't actually see the category when I posted. I'm not sure why this thread took the turn it did.

 

[champagne1982]

Sorry. I didn't actually see the category when I posted. I'm not sure why this thread took the turn it did.

Thanks for visiting, damon. I appreciate your positive attitude in the face of the resident gloomy-gus's grumpy growls about wanton waste ...

I posted it because I really enjoyed Shane's poem... I thought it was a very bright piece that stuffed it all up the arse of Vancouver's poet laureate. Seems that "equality and access" were more important to him than to bolster and lift the spirits of the world.

Any way. Got a poemie?

 

[Epmd607]

THE US is down 2-0 to Canada. If the US loses I hope it's in a classless fashion. Canadian defenders bleeding from their ears and eyes.

 

[Epmd607]

Not that I'm gonna give a play by play or anything, but now it's only 2-1. If the US wins I still hope it's in a classless, international incident kind of way.

 

[greenmountaineer]

What better way to lose

Beating the favorite in an earlier round; losing to them in the gold medal round after tying the score in the waning minutes before losing in overtime to the country that invented the sport and whose women won the gold as well.

My hat is off to the Canadians. While I've never been beyond Montreal, I'm a neighbor and have always enjoyed La provence du Quebec and les Maritimes. Vive Le Canada!

 

[Epmd607]

I'm disappointed, I wanted Canadians to experience the trauma of getting silver to US gold. It would've been a genuine crisis in identity, I just wanted to see that play out.

 

[champagne1982]

Still, 'twas a poetic nailbiter in any case.

O Canada

 

[bluerains]

wow!

I was blown away with the sudden death hockey game...what a team effort on both teams...Canada was on the mark...congrats...blue