Just playing

Saturday 11 August 2012 12:21 PM

Saturday’s leading front page article should make us all nauseous. But it probably won’t. $310m of our taxes have been spent so that the fitter of our compatriots can play games on our behalf, and for our pleasure. And sports officials want more. Perhaps they might reflect a little longer on the Olympic Oath, with its dedication to “the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.” Medals don’t rate a mention there. 

But then again, perhaps it’s unfair to single them out. They're not the only ones playing games. Our politicians, also in our name, spend quite a bit playing games with the ecosystem and the lives of the poor and marginalised at home and abroad, while temperatures slowly rise, islands slowly disappear, desperate people drown, carers just survive, the homeless shiver, and the world’s poorest die of hunger. Not a lot of difference, really. Guess we'll just keep on going for gold. Simpler that way.