Jeff Randall, writing about the excellent performance by Britons so far in the Olympics, reckons some people are getting all het up about the sort of folk who have been winning the gongs:
Unfortunately, no sooner had our rowers, cyclists and sailors collected their medals than the carping started – largely on account of their successes being clocked up in “posh” sports. That a disproportionately high number of these British champions went to fee-paying schools is regarded by some as a symptom of a divided society, evidence of a deep-rooted malaise.
In place of celebration, there is consternation: dark mumblings about the benefits of privilege. In the warped view of the Grumblies, middle-class successes are to be resented, as if, like those of drugs cheats, their places on the awards podium were the result of improper behaviour.
Britain’s middle classes are already in the dock for heinous crimes, such as seeking the best schools for their children, paying extra for private healthcare and determining the output of Radio Four. Now, it seems, they must endure being rubbished for having the audacity to produce results in a sporting arena that the nation expected to be dominated by foreigners.
He has a point, but I have not sensed much of this sort of snide carping. What I tend to notice from the coverage has been how pleasant and modest most of the sportsmen and women, of all backgrounds, appear to be. I watched as one guy with a thick Scouse accent was interviewed after he fought in a hard boxing bout against a chap from China, I think, and I remember thinking of how decent and philosophical the man was about his chances of success. The meritocracy of the whole event, and the way it has reached people of all classes, is what has shone through.
For all that I dislike the politicking and corruption that goes along with the Games – I dread the likely bill of the London Olympics, which I oppose – there can be no denying that the folk who have done well in th Games, from all nations, are, with the odd exception maybe, pretty admirable sportsmen and women and that bleatings about their class have not been much in evidence.
Randall continues:
But, for me, the finest moment was when the British men’s coxless fours rowed down the formidable Australians to snatch gold. Some will denigrate them as “posh boys”, largely because they can tell the difference between an adjective and an adverb, but that doesn’t make them substandard Olympians.
Quite. It is a pity, though, that something like accent or polish in a TV studio now is considered a measure of a sportsman or woman. After all, our Jeff speaks with the twang of London, so I am not sure what is going on there.
Sadly it is not just Britain – and it is not just sport.
For example one of the lines of attack by the left on John McCain is that he is RICH. And he is rich.
It is not true that he did not know how many houses he owned (he told the reporter that the campaign staff would get back to him – as there are legal issues as some of the houses are owned by investment trusts) BUT most people do not even have an interest in seven houses.
And most people are not married to people with beer industry money.
Whether it is sport or politics, class and envy are facts – and facts are things one can not ignore.
For example, it might be very brave to say the following:
“I denounce the poltics of class and envy, I will choose another rich guy as my running mate – step forward Governor Romney”.
But it would also be a very stupid thing to do.
“You are only saying that because you do not like Romney” – it is true that I do not like him, but it remains true.
Politics stinks – rather more than sport does.
But, sadly, politics is imporant – so one must adjust to political facts.
And envy of the rich is a political fact.
For example it is much less politically difficult for someone who is dirt poor (like me) to support lower top tax rates, than it is for a rich person to do so.
That is why one tries to get a person from an ordinary background (for example Governor Pawlenty) to balance tickets.
One can ignore sport if one wishes to (guess how much of “the games” I have watched), but ignoring politics means ever higher government spending and “progressive” regulations (for example getting rid of all media that does not follow a “progressive” line,) so one has to play the political game.
And, unlike sport, there are no honourable rules in politics.
Didn’t McCain attack Romney for being a rich guy?
Just think of the possible shooting medals we might have won if it wasn’t for the Govts oh so clever Firearms Act.
No cant say I’ve noticed much class envy in the Olympics. Maybe it’s because we’ve won so many medals, that plain ‘ol pride just kicks in instead.
My hat is off to each and every one of them from whatever Nation they belong.
I would not like to train 6 hours a day, or stuff down 12thousand cals and then burn it off again, for four years in total obscurity, day in day out, just for those few magic moments.
That is my idea of hell.
But damn you have to admire the dedication and single mindedness.
If NuLab were smart they would push that angle at our feckless youth, and play down the class one.
But they dont change much do they?
One Ivan Davies MP wants to soak the rich as a way out of this recession. We’d all like to see the back of the envelope he came up with that one on.
I remember reading in the Times the other day (sorry, no reference, can’t remember the exact edition) Matthew Syed having a page-long whine about the middle-class winning too many things. Especially about the equestrians and yachtsmen who, he implied, ought not to be in the games at all because not everyone can afford these sports.
I may be wrong about this, since I don’t follow IOC politics that closely, but doesn’t the host country get to add a few sports to the Olympic extravaganza.
Seems like an ideal opportunity for us to add darts, snooker, table football and bingo to the list.
Sadly, our brave lads and lasses may not be in the medal running since the bans on smoking have hit their training facilities for six.
In the current games, I was quite impressed with one of our brave girls coming sixth in the semi-finals behind the Iranian lass in the burqua. Good to see the lottery funding producing so much.
The London Olympics should not try to match China’s effort. At some point the world will realize enough is enough. Who will be willing to host these games if the direction doesn’t change?
Emphasize good service and value for visitors, and good execution of the events, applaud the athletes and forget the spectacles.
China reports direct costs of around 20 billion dollars. When the other costs – such as closing all those factories to reduce smog – is considered the sum is probably twice that.
The games should be permanently based in Greece. Eliminate all the infighting and hugely expensive multiple year efforts to lobby the IOC. Reduce the IOC to coordinating the travel arrangements of national teams.
Cut the number of events. Oh, the athletes could be given pure gold medals too. A few hundred at four thousand each. Trivial over four years.
Not too tricky to spot where this chap stands on posh sports and the sort of folk who compete in ’em.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/olympics/2008/08/is_it_time_for_a_really_modern.html
“Especially about the equestrians and yachtsmen who, he implied, ought not to be in the games at all because not everyone can afford these sports.”
We in NZ win most of our medals via people who are sitting down at the time (equestrian, sailing, cycling, rowing) so I suppose we have the same disease. I hadn’t previously considered the cost of the equipment as a reason but does a bicycle or a windsurfer really cost that much as to be prohibitive for anyone with the talent? Sure, you need good kit to win at the olympics, but you can train and show your potential on cheap old rubbish.
In my own sport of gliding, in order to win at the world level you need a new aircraft costing well over $100,000. But you can get a 30 year old one that is within 5% of the performance for $15,000.
Quite right. That’s why politicians across the globe and of all stripes glom on to the Olympics and other sporting events. The pols want to be seen as admirable overachievers just like the athletes.
The class thing hasn’t hit Olympics MSM coverage in the U.S., but we watched none of the TV coverage because there was never any actual competition on when we tuned in; just cultural and personal stories and garbage and way too much yammering by idiotic talking heads. None of the sports we were interested in were shown. (My husband competes in Olympic-style weightlifting here in the Northeast — we found NO weightlifting coverage! Shocking!)
For us the Olympics have totally jumped the shark and are irrelevant.
Come on now, it’s a bit disingenuous of you to mix together class and merit. One of the complaints about the class system is how it prevents those with genuine merit in the outside-classes from getting to places reserved for the inside-classes. As an example, you never see working class thickos at university, only middle class ones.
Don’t worry. When the muzzies take over, the class thing will not be a worry any more.
You guys should check out this thread at the Biased BBC blog to learn more about what has been going on. Jeff is right, and it’s worse than you think. The BBC is leading the class war whining:
And the Gold Medal for Class War Goes To….
No bashing Cindy McCain, if you please, gents. A woman with her own beer distributorship is all right by me, especially if I get to sample a few freebies every now and again.
Please keep in mind that mosat Western athletes are self funded, family funded, or if they are extraordinary and high profile, some business sponsorship, but very rarely.
The parents of American gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson mortgaged their home more than once to have funds to continue her training.
Michael Phelps, the 8x gold medalist swimmer was kept going by a single mother.
The stories are numerous, and common.
The Chinese, on the other hand, have full state-backed intensive training programs that start with child athletes as young as three and continue for more than ten years aiming at a specific Olympics. They consider it to be just another form of warfare.
The West should be proud of our extraordinary competitors who must overcome more than mere competition.
There is a legitmate reason(Link) to be jeaolous of Olympians, but class isn’t one of them.
Man, if someone told me this when I was eight years old and enamored with swimming I would have gone pro too.
M
It was Governor Huckabee who attacked Governor Romney for being rich – but he did it in clever ways.
If ripping your throat out whilst seeming to be a nice friendly guy was a sport – Governor Huckabee would win gold.
However, when he tries the same thing Governor Romney does not give such a nice impression.
The impression he gives is of someone trying to rip you throat out (rather than being a nice friendly guy) – and FAILING to rip your throat out.
“How do we go up in the polls?”
“Get Governor Romney to make hostile speeches and run attack ads against us”.
Are you all on drugs, or something?
There have only been fourteen events, and Australia won Gold at every one of them! I know, I’ve been watching Australian TV!!!
You’re all just suffering from Austral-envia!
The Olympics are the apotheosis of statism, and the 2008 specimen takes the gold. Anybody whose bile didn’t rise at that grotesque opening ceremony is no libertarian.
I read the other day that in its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics Japan is promising to tone it down, using a “small is beautiful” theme. Venues and athletes’ living quarters will be situated closely together, some swimming facilities from their last Olympics would be re-used, etc. Hopefully the ridiculous excesses of the Beijing Olympics will be the “high-water mark” of this spectacle.
I was referring to this.
Now, I don’t like Mitt Romney at all, but if McCain is now being attacked by opponents about his own wealth, serves the stupid bastard right.