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Comment by beseku | Hacker News Reader

It's interesting, as I live in London and, even after getting a bit angry about how strong the copyright police were being, would have to admit that the Olympics were a resounding success. Everybody I met who was previously cynical grew to love the event, the city was absolutely rocking, the park was tremendous and the worst thing about it was the subsequent downer the city is now on.

Ruined is a bit strong, I guess is what I mean.

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That's weird, I tend to spend a lot of time in London (although I don't live there, I managed to be there for at least 20% of the time the olympics was on).

I never stopped hating the Olympics. Bread and circuses in exchange for what? Special Zil lanes for special people while our transport system groans? CrossRail, which should be finished soon? Mad logo enforcement officials?

To be fair it didn't help that I have an event in London in September and we've had to go out of our way to avoid certain phrases when we have nothing to do with the Olympics.

For the country that gave the world the rule of law, this is absolutely disgusting. Yup, bile duct's still raging.

It was so sad. An unbelievably expensive circus that mesmerized everyone for a short while, masquerading as a magical "cure" for everything. Sponsored by taxpayer money, with everyone involved (except those taxpayers) becoming a lot richer, that's the way a financial elite has come to rule the rest of the world, by lulling us into a pleasurable daze, making us poorer as they go.

The Olympics seem, in part, about creating public debt and providing a pretext to vamp up state surveillance apparatuses. Public debt creates the need for cutbacks and cutbacks create opportunities for privatized versions of formerly public services.

Not to mention the irony of multinational corporations running a show of mock national pride, the very same national pride their business helps to undermine (both financially and morally).

Marmite games! I was cynical too before they started, but was hooked after the opening ceremony. I think beseku's point was the games themselves were fantastic, and the majority of people really enjoyed it. I think the article points out some really good points though, although it didn't ruin them, it certainly put a little bit of a downer on the games.

The Games were fantastic, but I'm disappointed that something as special and symbolic as the Olympic Games making more of a marketing/commercial exploitation than "the spirit of the the Olympic Games".

I mean the whole Visa thing was an absolute pile of rubbish. I get the fact that Visa spend money to sponsor the games, but for that they get their name plastered all over the websites, stadiums and marketing material. We get it, you sponsored the Games. Thanks. Now don't stop me being able to buy tickets just because I don't have a Visa card, it's not like I can get one instantly when I am trying to buy a ticket last minute and you give me 2 minutes to enter my card details otherwise I lose my tickets... and then they won't accept my money in the stadium because I don't have a Visa, or I can't take my money out of an ATM either. I actually have a Visa, but I think this would have cause more bad publicity than good and the publicity they were trying to buy!

They did well to release more seats and fill up the stadiums when there was an outcry (it's all a learning experience...) so they should have sorted out the issue with small businesses being bullied like that.

Maybe it's always been like this and never really took much notice because it was never on my door step before...

I'm so disappointed in you and most of the rest of the world. I'm glad you think the circus was worth what you traded for it, but it seems like a large step onto a slippery slope to me.

What was traded in? The infrastructure couldn't have been built without the sponsors and restrictive agreements which, after the event, didn't have much of an effect on creating a huge party spirit throughout the city.

The only trade was sponsors for any kind of event at all and I'm glad that happened, as it was a fantastic fortnight of sport.

What would you say is traded in for it?

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