This could be you, America

 

Starless
The Conservative Commune
7/28/2012

It used to be that the premiere occasion for showcasing a nation’s greatest was at a World Exposition (just ask St. Louis, they’ll tell you all about it). Nowadays, you really have to look to the Olympics for the same sort of global popular appeal and interest, and the Opening Ceremonies are supposed serve as the main event to highlght the character and strengths of a nation. For example, a million (or whatever it was) Chinese drumming sent a pretty clear message of what the Chinese thought of themselves and their current power. It was somewhat creepy, but still a very powerful demonstration.

Imagine my surprise when I watched as the Brits spent a quarter of an hour of extremely valuable global promotional (or propagandist, depending on how you want to look at it) time showcasing socialized medicine. “Come to Britain to stand in line for your ration of health care!” The only other nation I can think of who hangs its reputation as loudly and proudly on its healthcare system is Cuba. CUBA. Do you hear that Britain? It’s you and a tiny, poverty-stricken island in the Caribbean.

So much for the great Empire.

CAJ note: Our opinion: the ceremonies could have begun with the Parade of Athletes and ended with the fireworks. The ceremonies seemed to be desperate to reflect whatever it is that is supposed to be good about the post-Industrial Revolution, post-Empire Britain, heavy on socialism and “multiculturalism.” In other words, it was preachy and felt like an endless version of your least favorite SuperBowl half-time show. The painful program was made all the more so by the terrible commentary by NBC’s hosts, Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. Our British WordBoss warned us…this “entertainment”  is where the New World Order leads us if America fails.

But the cauldron, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, was breathtaking. He deserves credit for contributing to the spectacular finale of an otherwise dreadful four and a half hours of television. If you like fireworks, London did ’em right!

Here is BBC’s Olympics 2012 page.

Related: Olympics-Controversy stirs over out-of-sight Olympic cauldron

This video via Huffington Post.

Each “petal” of flame represents one of the nations competing in this year’s games.

Update: Saudi Female Olympians Called “Prostitutes” For Competing In London Games…

 

Update 2Munich and the Politics of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Update 3: UK: Hundreds of Leftists Protest Against “Capitalist” Olympics In London… Cuz, you know, the NHS and all those entitlements just pay for themselves.

Update 4Some Thoughts on the Olympics…

…The nation which gave the world Elizabeth Tudor, Victoria, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Shakespeare and Churchill (who both got but cursory nods), Magna Carta, the Empire which gave birth to some 50 democracies, the English voyages of Discovery of Darwin and Cook, the nation that stood stalwart in the defense of Freedom against Napoleon, the Hohenzollern’s, the Nazis and Communism, was barely introduced to the world, but for a minutes’ silence to honor the war dead of Flanders.

This is what happens when a Great Nation becomes infected by Political Correctness…

CAJ note:  The original post at The Conservative Commune has been updated and is worth reading.

Corrected

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