Surely time to write a Decent paper on the reduction in boycott option value that heavy expenditure on Olympic sporting success gives? If we'd have been in the running for just an Atlanta style single gold how much easier would it have been to boycott the event?
You might be on to something here - I note that we're adopting a very hard foreign policy line with respect to the country that pipped us for third place in the medals table and that achieving our targets for 2012 is obviously going to be a lot easier if we can provoke them into a boycott. In fact, thinking about it, if the London games take place without the Soviet Union, all its satellite states (of which there are apparently going to be a lot more), the Arab world and China, it's quite likely that Britain will be (unquestionably) the second strongest nation.
One problem with cancelling the Games to save money has been that we will let everyone down, from the IOC downwards (or is that upwards?). On the other hand if we could provoke everyone into boycotting the London Olympics, then it would not have been our fault.
We need a small mountainous country near England that can take an invasion and repressive occuption for the good of the UK taxpayer...
Surely time to write a Decent paper on the reduction in boycott option value that heavy expenditure on Olympic sporting success gives? If we'd have been in the running for just an Atlanta style single gold how much easier would it have been to boycott the event?
ReplyDeleteYou might be on to something here - I note that we're adopting a very hard foreign policy line with respect to the country that pipped us for third place in the medals table and that achieving our targets for 2012 is obviously going to be a lot easier if we can provoke them into a boycott. In fact, thinking about it, if the London games take place without the Soviet Union, all its satellite states (of which there are apparently going to be a lot more), the Arab world and China, it's quite likely that Britain will be (unquestionably) the second strongest nation.
ReplyDeleteif the London games take place without the Soviet Union
ReplyDeleteIt would surely be a considerable surprise if they did not.
I thik your point was anticipated in Harry's comments box...
Depends what Putin gets up to in the next four years...
ReplyDeleteOne problem with cancelling the Games to save money has been that we will let everyone down, from the IOC downwards (or is that upwards?). On the other hand if we could provoke everyone into boycotting the London Olympics, then it would not have been our fault.
ReplyDeleteWe need a small mountainous country near England that can take an invasion and repressive occuption for the good of the UK taxpayer...
Better invade the Isle of Man then, since it's mostly a home for the non-taxpayer...
ReplyDelete