Olympics in America

Posted by Ferret on Aug. 4, 2012, 4:39 p.m.

It’s hard to deny that Olympics are pretty interesting. Even if I don’t really watch them intensely, I have to admit that the idea of countries from around the world, coming together, and giving the world a chance to see all of the greatest athletes in the world, all in one place, is pretty darn cool. Countries gathering into a single city, representing their home countries as individuals, but representing humanity as a whole. Countries fade, and in its place you see people sporting for the sake of the game. Well, unless you live in America.

I don’t think I’ve really touched upon my disdain for this country here on 64Digits that much, but something that really drives me nuts is it’s pride or patriotism. Team USA, Team USA, Team fucking USA. Is that really all that is going on over in London? No. No it’s not, but for all that we see, it may as well be. Sure, I can understand that a lot of people are interested in the sports we compete best in or even just barely compete, but what about all the other sports that some of us haven’t even heard of? Sure, I can understand an interview with the American team that just lost a water polo match, but how about the fucking people that just beat them? Just because they aren’t American doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing. We rarely get to hear about the other people. Every single time, when they have nothing to show, the empty space is filled up with all these dramatic background stories of people who are competing for America; sometimes they replay them, or sometimes they just fill the space with more ads. Have you seen some of the countries these people come from?! I’m all for seeing the guy triumph out from the broncs, but god damn there are countries with people who make it out with just as many tribulations, if not more. I want to see them, know their story, hear their voices, see their faces, and fucking acknowledge their existence, not as a person from another country, but as a person.

Pride should exist though, don’t get me wrong, if we are going to get that awesome interview with the Polish or Australian guy, I don’t give a shit if he or she talks about his or her love for the country they represent. Hell, they should give a shoutout or a challenge to America, let us know that we can be beaten; maybe then I’ll be on the edge of my seat. We need to see that there is pride for other things out there besides America. For us Americans, pride is shoved down our throats at an abnormally high level; it’s almost like America has compensation issues. Every single freaking commercial it’s some stupid company comparing themselves to olympians or talking about how they “help them reach their goals.â€? “Team USA,â€? it says at the bottom of the commercial, “Proud Sponsor of Team USAâ€? or (I love this one) “Official <noun> of the Olympics.â€? Even then, if they are the official something of an international event they still put an extra amount of American-esque flag patterns all around their logo and the traditional “Team USAâ€? at the bottom. Yeah, go McDonalds, way to represent America by being Olympics official choice of food, I’m sure athletes from all over the world are raving about American food by now.

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It’s the attitude really that is the problem here. We got to be number 1, number 1, number fucking 1… when we really aren’t. Maybe we can at least look close to number 1 at the Olympics, because we sure as hell suck at everything else. Whenever I say that, someone always likes to add “but your country have the best militaryâ€? as either: an act of kindly reminding me another reason to hate this country, or because of stupidity. Frankly, a military that does more harm than good (it occasionally does good, I looked into this), and gets an unnecessarily large amount of funding from a government that can’t afford it, it is the worst organized military in the world, in my opinion.

I love you, so much :(

Everyone already knows about America’s poor attitude though, this is nothing new. Really the Olympics, or the way that America approaches it, is just an example of the stupidity behind this country’s attitude. So nothing really has to be said, since really it’s just part of something bigger that will probably never go away or at least until the baby boomers die. Still, I just wish I got to see something, as international as the Olympics, from a world perspective and not from a spoiled country.

Comments

Rez 11 years, 9 months ago

That picture and comment make no sense together.

Kunedon 11 years, 9 months ago

It made JuurianChi sense together

JuurianChi 11 years, 9 months ago

It makes sense because it's Nasa.

Charlie Carlo 11 years, 9 months ago

Radda radda JuurianChi.

Toast 11 years, 9 months ago

Bashing is wrong, let us be accepting of the nonsensical

This foot spa represents my desire to rub your feet

firestormx 11 years, 9 months ago

This might make me sound like I hate America, and sit on my throne in my igloo, judging it or something, but this blog points out a lot of things that irritate me.

Quote:
For us Americans, pride is shoved down our throats at an abnormally high level; it’s almost like America has compensation issues
I've always thought this as well. I kind of thought it jokingly until I visited the US, and stayed in a hotel and watched TV, and listened to the radio, and so on and so forth. As someone looking at it from the outside, it seems so ridiculous.

Quote:
but your country have the best military
Correction: It has a massive military, with shit loads of technology, a blank cheque, and lots of careless mercenaries to suppliment them.

Many other nations have a military that is better trained. But don't get me started on the US Military. Half the problem seems to be that you take teenagers right out of highschool, keep them out of the real world, give them advanecd weaponry, teach them that they are the best, that whatever their country does is the right thing, fill them with hate and propoganda for their enemy, and then unleash them. When you have the biggest stick, the enemy is dehumanized, you are superiorized, and you can do no wrong in the name of your country, what do you think will happen?

Quote:
Problem with America is that they like to stick their noses into other peoples' business.
This is a lie. They ONLY mind their own business. By this, I mean if what someone else is doing will effect them, they'll jump right in there. If not, they'll stay out of it, and even worse, because of their "obligations" to the UN and NATO, they sometimes stop anyone from helping. If NATO gets involved, they might have to get involved, and that would be awful, so let's make sure NO ONE gets involved.

Quote:
You can say America sucks all you want, but remember that it's the rest of the countries in this world that made what it is today. We have people from every country living as "Americans".
America has a "boiling pot" culture. Most liberal Americans say that with pride, but the rest of the world kind of looks at it mockingly. People from other cultures go into America, and are sort of "forced" to behave like an American (thus they melt into the American culture, losing their own culture).

"You're in 'muricka now, whatchu doin' with that silly turban, ya moslum?"

Quote:
As an American, I can say that most Americans are so fucking spoiled that they think everything's a conspiracy when something changes.
Hahaha, yes! A conspiracy against both them PERSONALLY, and everything they like. "this is an attack on freedom". "the american worker will not stand for this". "my children is being made a dummy if this bill is made come true!"

Quote:
Spoiled by comparison with the rest of the world. But everyone should have freedom.
Everyone should have freedom, or everyone should have American freedom? The concept of freedom, versus the freedom that American society provides are quite different.

If you want freedom, go to, like Botswana or something. Live in the bush, and rape, murder, and pillage all you want. (All my African knowledge is a few years old, so I don't know who's been overthrown by what, and what countries are the hotspots for this sort of thing anymore. No one talks about this sort of thing anywhere, so I can only get this information from research)

Also, Americans talking about freedom is a pretty big pet peeve of mine. Everything is an attack on their freedom, and they must constantly defend their freedom. I find it horrible that people are constantly saying that troops are out "fighting for America's freedom". America has it's fucking freedom, and it doesn't need defending at the moment. Attacking America is basically like attacking North America, since it is surrounded by allies. Plus there's the whole problem of getting TO America across the ocean, and then trying to move an army all the way across such a huge land mass. No one will attack America.

Canada isn't off fighting for Canada's freedom, and everyone knows it. It's fighting for other peoples' freedom and rights - usually by taking away power from other people through force. For example, the "join the military" ads are totally different. Canadian ads are all about the "boring" stuff. Peacekeeping stuff. Aiding civilians after a natural disaster, guarding and protecting civilian camps, patrolling waters, etc. There's nothing about "serving your country", "fighting for freedom", and so on. Our biggest threats are the Russians and the Americans. wtf is Russia going to do with more land, and America remembers all the other times it tried to invade Canada. Actually, I find Americans don't remember how badly their attacks into Canada backfire, but whatever.

Anyway, yeah. Freedom is an abstract term that Americans seem to mindlessly associate with anything they can, regardless of if it makes sense.

Cesque 11 years, 9 months ago

Quote:
Half the problem seems to be that you take teenagers right out of highschool, keep them out of the real world, give them advanecd weaponry, teach them that they are the best, that whatever their country does is the right thing, fill them with hate and propoganda for their enemy, and then unleash them. When you have the biggest stick, the enemy is dehumanized, you are superiorized, and you can do no wrong in the name of your country, what do you think will happen?

I don't think that's how the US military operates anymore. I think many people in there genuinely believe that they fight for the freedom of other nations and to protect its civilian population and provide them with all the rights and services they need…

And that's even more scary.

firestormx 11 years, 9 months ago

I don't know, I still haven't found that to be the case of the young people I know in the military. However few I may know.

JuurianChi 11 years, 9 months ago

You know one good thing about the military?

They make you cut your hair when you join.

Juurian starts fantasizing about all of the beautiful short haired women.

Then I suddenly get disappointed.

poultry 11 years, 9 months ago

Michael Phelps.