Good news from an unlikely source
This, at the MSF/AEEU, AmicusUnite's site:
"European Court judgement could derail the London Olympics say Unite".
And they present this as though it is a bad thing. Turns out to be scare tactics based on a reading of an ECJ ruling, whereby 'a Polish subcontractor operating in Germany can lawfully pay construction workers less than half the German construction industry’s agreed wage'. Unite reckons 'London’s Olympics will either be built on poverty wages or not at all as industrial unrest spreads'. I'll take the latter please, but I could live with the former if means that London council tax payers are skinned slightly less thoroughly to fund the World's Largest Outdoor Steroid Abuse Fest.
"European Court judgement could derail the London Olympics say Unite".
And they present this as though it is a bad thing. Turns out to be scare tactics based on a reading of an ECJ ruling, whereby 'a Polish subcontractor operating in Germany can lawfully pay construction workers less than half the German construction industry’s agreed wage'. Unite reckons 'London’s Olympics will either be built on poverty wages or not at all as industrial unrest spreads'. I'll take the latter please, but I could live with the former if means that London council tax payers are skinned slightly less thoroughly to fund the World's Largest Outdoor Steroid Abuse Fest.
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on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 11:43 am.
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I don't think the London Olympics are going to happen. After all, it's a bigger event than the opening of Terminal Five ... Who's in charge of this gigantic project again?
The Olympics for 2012 had failure stamped on it when Tony Blair, negotiator to the world, flew out, at taxpayer expense, to Singapore to convince the venal thugs on the Olympics Committee that Britain should get it.
As everything Tony Blair touches turns to failure, we have high hopes that the Steroids Enhancement Knockabout, will provide us with a couple of weeks of innocent merriment. Too bad that Londoners have to pay for this universal comedy, but hopefully, London's attempt will finish the Olympics off for good. The Olympics Committee can retire its gold polyester blazers.
OTOH, as the tracks and stadia won't be finished, that famous British improvisation that won us he War can be called upon once more. Utilising the Tube stairs and escalators,for example, an event for Dodging Romanian Baby-Bearing Beggars, could test fast reflexes without the bother of putting on running shorts, trainers and a T-Shirt.
I am so looking forward to the London Olympics.
Passing a shop with a tv in the window this morning, I caught a glance of the ticker tape runner at the bottom of the screen which stated that over half the Greek weightlifting team had been found to have been using banned substances. Last week a Greek runner who failed to appear for drug testing was awarded the medal originally "won" by Marion Jones who recently confessed to being on drugs when competing and is now behind bars where he belongs. Today in my paper there is a report of drug use among premier league footballers. Years ago, it was widely accepted that East Europeans were drugged up to the eyeballs and their results often confirmed this. Sport is no longer worth spending any money on as far too many of the participants seem to be cheating.
I agree with Verity, the Olympics should be ditched - or possibly held at a fixed venue, such as Athens.
Plus ca change...
Nomad - Why curse Greece? It was 2,000 years ago, or one of those dates in ancient history. They were young. They were crazy.
They didn't know their games would give rise to gold polyester jackets and synchronised swimming.
What I know is, this gigantic, multi-billion dollar scam has to be terminated. The taxpayers of all the cities that have "hosted" the Olympics are still paying for them generations later. Even the competent ones. (I believe, uniquely, Los Angeles paid for itself from day one, but these guys have experience at financing large projects at the sharp end.)
Montreal, Sydney, Barcelona and all the rest weren't that lucky. The taxpayers are still paying. For what? If it is a money loser, why have it? What's that Latin phrase? Cui bono?
The world will not miss this gigantic con. No one mopes around saying, "Oh, gosh, I can't wait for the next Olympics! I can't stand it!"
[oops, typo in my earlier post - I do know that Marion Jones is female!]
Verity: We appear to be in agreement. This {whatever the word is I am looking for - jamboree?} has outlived its usefulness. I have nothing against the Greeks either and if they don't want it so be it. Maybe if LA is the only organiser that knows how to turn a profit on this drugfest perhaps they could be its new home! Anywhere but the UK will do for me.
Gosh, Nomad. I don't know that they would have enough pianos in LA these days.
And they're too busy striking deals, churning out worldwide blockbusters and having liposuction, so may be difficult to pencil in.
I suggest driving a stake through its heart and getting rid of it for good. In fact,I think that's what the vampirish Tony Blair has already done. So in his long, squalid career, he's done one thing right.
I'll go along with anywhere but London. However, there must be somewhere that deserves to be cursed with this white elephant (in the original Thai sense) on a recurring basis.
Somalia?
In any event, the elephant in the living room is the fact that the competition's over. I gather that breaking records is what gives the Olympics whatever frisson it had, but everything seems to be about maxed out now, even with the help of steroids. Out of all the events in Beijing, I will bet a dollar to a dime that there won't be more than two records broken. Four years later,in London, even if it gets off the ground, which it won't, there will be no records broken. All that demented pumping of ugly leg muscles and thick cords in necks in vain.
The party's over!
The gold polyester-clad ones know this, which is why they introduced synchronised swimming (snigger). It is not quantifiable. It's a judgement call. They also intend to introduce ice-skating. Again, talent contest.
But they've got to keep this bandwagon rolling. This is one gravy vat that will not be allowed to disappear.
Look forward to the introduction of hopscotch, shove ha'penny and darts. (Actually, I think they may already have darts.)
But I repeat, I don't think the London Olympics is going to happen.
Not altogether popular the 2012 Olympics.
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