This Olympics hysteria shows that Britain has turned Soviet | Simon Jenkins | Opinion | The Guardian

This Olympics hysteria shows that Britain has turned Soviet | Simon Jenkins | Opinion | The Guardian: "We used to ridicule the communists for using sport as a proxy for economic success. Now, with the vast sums thrown at Team GB and athletes declared ‘heroes’, we’re copying them"

Just noticed this comment:

dr8765 

27m ago

34

Simon, you are spot on!

We have become the new East Germany. We used to rightly call out the East Germans for using the Olympic Games as an exercise in glorifying the way in which they organised their society. But now we have replaced them. It's no longer about competing. It's all about finishing top of the medal table and spending lottery millions "efficiently" to garner even more medals for the glory of the Homeland.

Clearly other countries feel differently. Most of the venues appear to be almost empty, even as another pampered Brit proves that the state subsidies were well spent by winning another medal.