Outline of the Issue

Nations use the Olympics as a way to bring commerce into the country. The Olympics bring in several hundred thousand tourists to the host nation to watch the events. Millions more watch the events on television. Furthermore, the attention that is given to the host country due to media coverage brings every aspect of that country into light. Only considering the money brought in by tourists, the Olympics have been turned into a lucrative business. Again, this is a massive tangent to the original purpose of the Olympics. And again, government is to blame.

Government is the issue when it comes to the tarnishing of the Olympic spirit. How can this problem be fixed? The most obvious solution is to abolish the governments of the nations that compete in the modern games. Yes, this is highly impractical and certainly impossible. So what next? One solution could be to have athletes compete as individuals like in the ancient games. This would end the issue of “anything your country can do, mine can do better.” It would also eliminate a government’s habit to exploit the Olympics as a way to bring in commerce and showcase the country.

While this seems like an excellent solution, the likelihood of ever separating an athlete from his nation is slim. Furthermore, the entire globe would lose interest. If an athlete is not affiliated with a nation, no nation can take part in the glory of the victory. No one would have any desire to watch the Olympics when they could watch their favorite basketball team on ESPN and take part in their triumph instead. This would cause the loss of the main purpose of the Olympics: to foster international community. How can the Olympics go back to its roots without loosing the positive developments it has made in the past few hundred years? In the words of Pooh Bear, we must, "think, think think."