Have the Olympic Games Been Hijacked by the Politicians and Profiteers?

The Olympic Games originated in ancient times as a religious event in the honor of the Greek god Zeus. At the time it was the most important event in the ancient world. And as it is today, it was a great honor for the athletes to participate in the Olympic Games. Still, similar to today, political ambitions and rivalries as well as profiteering was part of the games. But any fighting had to stop for the Olympic Games. A truce was called and strictly enforced. The Olympic Spirit, a fair competition among the individual athletes, took center stage. But nowadays it seems the Olympic Spirit has become unimportant. Profiteering and boasting ones own importance as a nation has taken center stage. Politicians or those with political messages don't seem to be able to put their differences aside. Why do people have to attack the Olympic Games, or as of now the Olympic Torch Relay? Because they want to punish the host nation? Why can't we call a truce? Has the Olympic Spirit been lost? Have profits and political ambitions taken the Olympic Games hostage? Are the athletes been reduced to mere pawns?

Even in ancient times those involved in the Olympic Games strived to profit from the event. But the athletes and the religious activities took center stage, with the athletes competing fairly as individuals not as a team. Still, just like today, athletes were often seen as representatives of their part of the ancient world. And their supporters did egg each other on, and not necessarily in a friendly way. Although the truce was enforced, rival fractions of the ancient world did exchange hostilities, but it was kept to an unfriendly verbal exchange. In the name of the Olympic Games, fighting was forbidden. Still, no matter how much they hated each other, no matter how major the disagreement, no matter how bitter the armies fought before the truce, they all came to the Games, because the competition, the Olympic Spirit, and the adoration of Zeus brought them together. Nobody dared to discredit the Olympic Games.

Why can't we do that today? We claim we have progressed. We condemn some of the barbaric practices of the time. Yet we are unable to call a simple truce and to let the Olympic Games be the Olympic Games?

Granted, it's not a religious event anymore. How many people still worship Zeus? It's not sacrilegious in the religious sense to tamper with the Olympic Games. It's highly unlikely the wrath of Zeus, or of any god for that matter, will come upon us.

But since the Olympic Games have been revived in 1896, the importance has shifted away from the individual athletic performance to a show of prestige among the participating nations demonstrating not only their strength through their athletes (just as in ancient times) but also their political and economical power. While "officially" the athletes are still the focus of the attention, in-officially money and political collaboration takes center stage. The host country of course wants to increase its own profits, and not just through the media, advertising, and tourism takings. No, they want to showcase their products and accomplishments as a nation in an effort to increase profits from exports. Ideally, trade agreements with the visiting nations will be forged. Profiteering is the name of the game. Somehow, each participating nation will attempt to gain economical and/or political profit from its attendance.

Ultimately, it's a battle of prestige. Nations spend millions to promote and train their athletes. Some seem to think the sheer number of athletes demonstrates strength. Host countries spend billions on elaborate marketing schemes, facilities, ceremonies, and shows around the Olympics. They want to put on a bigger and better show then the previous host country. After all, with the eyes of the world trained on their country, they want to showcase their significance in the world. See how important we are? Even our enemies come to participate and they are peaceful!

Or not! Because herein lies the pitfall. While in theory the Olympic Games are supposed to be a peaceful event, in practice they have been hijacked for political purposes and in one way or another succumbed to political pressure. The recent protests and calls for boycotts surrounding China's treatment of Tibet and the Tibetan protesters are not the first in the history of the Olympic Games of the new era.

In 1976, for example, several African nations chose not to participate in the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, to protest a tour of South Africa by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team and the refusal of the IOC to ban the New Zealand team from the games.

In 1980 a massive boycott was carried out against the Olympic Games in Moscow as a protest of the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. Key figure in this boycott was the United States. Consequently, the Soviet Union led a boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

And now protesters in Tibet try to take advantage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in an attempt to bring attention to their own plight. And naturally, China reacted, well, China reacted the way China has always treated such protests. But this is not a new problem. China has made a claim to Tibet for many centuries and blood has been shed on both sides. The invasion of 1950 by the People's Republic of China was only the latest successful attempt to assert China's rights to the Tibetan territory. Yes, it is not the civilized way to handle such protests. Most of the western countries believe China is squashing the rights of the Tibetans. But it's not a new issue. Problems and bloodshed already existed, when China put its hat into the ring to host the games. The issue was already present, when the IOC awarded China the hosting, and therefore the bragging rights. Why start the protests now? Even worse, why is the rest of the world jumping on the bandwagon?

Is it that we have another beef with China and this is a good way to get "revenge"? While most western economies have taken a beating of late, China is thriving. While we try to protect the environment and to avoid hazardous emissions and contaminations of our soil and rivers, China carelessly stomps on. They even send us poisonous and contaminated stuff and thumb their nose at us, if we complain. Why? Because they can, and because they know, we will trade for their cheap goods anyway.

But are these protests and outright attacks on the Olympics and the torchbearers really the only way to "stick it" to them, to teach them a lesson that we still have the power? Does China care?

The answer is no, China doesn't care. They know they don't have to comply and succumb to the political pressure. They simply won't.

So what do all this protests achieve? Peaceful ones bring attention to the Tibetan plight. It's their right to do that. It's their right to claim part of the spotlight, in a peaceful manner.

But the protests have moved beyond that. They have moved further than ever before. They have physically impeded on the Olympic Games, not by absence of nations who should participate, but by physical attacks on torchbearers participating in the Olympic Torch Relay. And this went too far.

Boycotts already hurt the athletes, for some of which the boycotted game might have been the only chance to ever be a part of it. Ask any of them who couldn't go. They understand the reasons, but it still hurts. They have worked all their lives to get there just to get their hopes smothered by a boycott.

For those, who still get to participate, it's an asterisk medal, if they win. The absent competition might have done better. Now we add insult to injury through blatantly open physical attacks. Protesters are attempting to stop the Olympic Games in the early stages with by trying to get a hold of the torch to, I guess, extinguish the flame and to destroy the torch. If the flame doesn't make it, the games are off? No, that's why they have a back-up flame.

So what is next, attack of the athletes who do show up? War on China because they dare to go on anyway? We can protest all we want, the games will go on, but they will take a major beating. And the ones hurt the most are the athletes.

In fact, it's doubtful there will be an all out boycott of the games, but there will still be boycotts of ceremonies and major political representatives of participating nations might not show up at all. Another blemished Olympics? Is a fair competition even possible? Have we indeed lost the Olympic Spirit? Happy now?

The athletes should be able to be proud to participate in this event. They should especially be able to be proud if they succeed in getting one of the coveted medals, especially the gold medal, a "holy grail" in the sports world. But can they proudly display it, if the rest of the world condemns the situation?

As much as you hate China for what they do to Tibet and the rest of the world, lets do those athletes a favor. Let us refocus on them. Let us refocus on the Olympics and Olympic Spirit. Let us call an Olympic Truce. Stop the fighting! Stop the attacks! Don't hijack the Olympic Games for your own political reasons and profiteering! Let the Olympics be an event again, where the world can come together for one purpose and one purpose only, to celebrate the athletes and their performance in a civilized manner.

After the flame has been extinguished at the closing ceremony, you may fight on... until we call the next Olympic Truce.