According to ancient sources, from 776 BC to 393 AD on a pretty regular basis, armed conflict in Greece came to a halt every four years for the holding of the Olympic Games. In this lighthearted look at the usefulness of the Games, Swiss columnist Patrik Etschmayer writes that while they still provide a welcomed distraction, the modern Games usually involve diverting our attention from less dire threats to our survival.
For the Swiss newspaper Nachrichten, Patrik Etschmayer writes,
The world is again spellbound by the five rings in its eyes. Spectators around the world are reveling in the performances of “their athletes” in Vancouver; or suffer when four hard years of preparation are rewarded with defeat.
The distraction bestowed on us by the athletes is more than just welcome: it’s a real necessity, since the Games give us hope that human endeavor and the success that arises from it can be measured, that good performance is rewarded, and that those who foul others will be excluded from competition – or at least have to sit for two minutes in the penalty box.
One may rightly doubt that the latest allied offensive in Afghanistan will bring the long-awaited peace. Analysts expect a protracted conflict and stress that the same mistakes which led to the failure of all previous conquerors in this cemetery of superpowers are still being made.
The fact that next door, the ever-more dictatorial state of Iran plays with the nuclear option while trying to divert attention with increasingly bizarre diplomatic behavior does nothing to advance political stability.
But when you’re completely engrossed in front of the TV by the athletes in Vancouver, it’s easy to forget this entire mess. In ancient Greece, the Olympics were a time when all armed conflicts were laid to rest. Today it’s the time when one can look away from the madness of the world without feeling guilty. It is not really the same – but we’ve become more modest over the last 2,000 years.
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