Chauvanism: an exaggerated, bellicose patriotism and a belief in national superiority and glory.

I love the spectacle of the big sporting event as much or more than the next guy, and all this High Def photography of well-muscled athletic competitors does make for compelling imagery. But shouldn't we keep at least one toe out of all-out Olympic fanaticism? Sure it's a beautiful thing to watch our runners, gymnasts, air riflists and beach volley ballers go for the gold---it's great to see them win and, yes it's great to....... watch China lose.

     Why is that? Why do I feel this way? Hasn't China become the bad guy this year--replacing the former Soviet Union? I have to ask though,  is this really healthy? I mean we're dabbling in all sorts of nationalistic loving and hating and while we're not really engaging in war with the Chinese, it sort of feels like it, doesn't it? If you have seriously imbibed of the Olympics Kool Aid, I strongly suggest you fire up a documentary of Jesse Owens and see how athletes of these games are so many chips in nationalistic poker games and, once used, thrown aside and forgotten. As I said, I love the spectacle of the great athletic contest, I just want to keep my perspective on all this because these games are given so much credibility that we may start to believe that the Chinese are our enemy and deserving of preemption.

Just saying, it's something to think about.  I'm W J O'Reilly