Should the UK really be thinking about spending Billions on 2012 Olympics?

Question

Like it or not, poverty is a huge problem here in the UK. Can the Government truly justify spending Billions of pounds on hosting the 2012 Olympics, with so many of it's citizens below the poverty line?

Answer 1

Every country trys to outdo the other, so the budget gets bigger every time.

Granted it brings jobs and money for the country, but your right, need to look at the poverty that does exist in the UK

Answer 2

No !

We are going to be paying for it in the Long run.

Answer 3

they should build an enormous stadium and facilities in neutral ground like geneva with all countries who participate in the games and can afford it contribute to the cost, then host the olympics there every 4 years

Answer 4

i was thinking bout this last night cos it was the closing ceremony and i thought the olympics went on for longer not just a week or two, and i thought the amount of money were gonna spend on this just for 2 weeks of sports, its rediculus.

they should build something in one country and hold it there every 4 years and leave it at that.

the olympics are really annoying me, cos in my area theve knocked down 2 swimming pools to make way for olympic facilitys and now we have to go  an hour and half out of the way to go swimming and in this pool were limited to 2 hours in the pool cos of how busy it gets.

i say scrap the olympics!

Answer 5

the money would be better if used to build a huge death ray. gather up the poor and vaporize them. poverty problem no more. afterwards you can use the ray to intimidate other nations.  

Answer 6

I like the Idea of a world olympic stadium that's held in the same place each year.This would save many billions and help reduce poverty.GB cannot afford this ex pence but would rather create more poverty than admit it.

Answer 7

They will but i still dont think it will be as good as these olympics. They dont want to be known as the ones who couldnt better the previous olympics.

Answer 8

No! My opinion is UK should not spend a penny..It will be London's 3rd Olympic games , so not much infrastructures need..

Money should be spent on homeless people

Answer 9

Poverty is a huge problem ? Then what about in china ? especially after the earthquake and stuff. Don't you think they should better spend the money to help them restore their homes ?

In a way, Olympics will generate some revenue to UK as well as boost tourism there (hence, generate more money again). But I don't think they'll spend as much as they spent on Beijing Olympics which I think was terribly excessive, moreover with some fake things (fireworks, the little girl singing, etc...)

But it's all about national pride.

The Chinese are proud to be able to held such a grandeur event. I think it's quite improve their status in the international eyes. So I guess if the londoners would want to sacrafice and suffer a bit for their country's interest, I think their action might be justifiable.

Well, that's my thought. I don't really know about these things... :D

Answer 10

I think that UK is far better than Asia (barring Japan), Africa and Latin America, as far as poverty is concerned.

So, I suppose that they could afford it, unlike the above mentioned places.

Answer 11

Uh, someone's gonna have to build that stuff.

Sounds like a few jobs to me.

Answer 12

Shouldn't the cost calculations be done BEFORE London made their bid. Anyway i believe, athletes should be the top priority and this should not be compromised. Any host nation should have the necessary means of providing and guaranteeing the best facilities and the best accommodation for the athletes to rest and perform. Since the world has entrusted London with the Olympics, London now has a massive responsibility to ensure that NO EXPENSE IS SPARED to provide the best for the next Games and bring it to greater heights.

Answer 13

If you have noticed, a large percent of the people in poverty are immigrants. I don't think that we should accept immigrants into the UK unless they are going to help the UK develop (a bit like the USA). The UK should stop being part of the EU and focus on advancing itself, not Europe. Sort out it's own problems instead of letting more in. If we stopped letting immigrants into our own country who have problems of their own, and focus on sorting our own country we could advance much quicker. Look at the USA. It is so hard getting a US citizenship, and you have to prove that you will be a good help to the country and many more things and look how technologically advanced it is compared it is to the rest of the world. I think the UK should not necessarily copy exactly what the USA has done, but it should at least take a leaf out of their book. I don't think the Olympics is the problem, as the UK accepted to take that on, but I think poverty is partly the problem. It takes so much money up from the working people's money and taxes to pay for benefits for people who don't deserve them and can't be bothered to get off their backside and do some work (don't get me wrong, their are some people who fully deserve to receive benefits who can't work if they are disabled or impaired in some way). The lower  class people in the UK, some of them think "I don't have to work in school and in later life because the government will provide money for me" and I think that atitude is unacceptable. The government should send round proffessional inspectors to see if the person claiming benefits really deserves them, and if they don't, they should receive much tougher punishments. If anyone has seen the benefit fraud advertisment on television they say that the worst punishment is a criminal record and a couple of months in prison. Most of the people will not care about that. I people cared more about the country than themselves, the government woukd have far more money to invest in the Games.  

Answer 14

You bring up an excellent point.  I'm hoping that Chicago does not get the 2016 Olympics for that same reason. The cost will be outrageous that the people who can afford it the least are going to pay too much just so the politicians can get a feather in their cap.

Answer 15

It's got me stuffed why countries feel it to be necessary to build completely new stadiums and other facilities JUST for the Olympics. Wembely Stadium is plenty adequate to host the Olympics and didn't it just get renovated?

Answer 16

are you saying the UK is poor? Then where is all the money coming from for free education and healthcare and all those benefits?

It costs to go to school in china and if china could easily afford it , so can we.

the chinese spent £22Bn but we are only spending £9.3Bn.

The Olympics can never be scraped as its an event which brings the world together in peace where sport dominates everything - every one is treated equally.

Why, they could have scraped the Olympics after World War I and World II but they didnt and London held it in 1948. The war made London almost bankrupt but somehow, they managed to hold the succesive olympic games.

If London has done it twice, why not a third time?

Answer 17

I think im the person who things its a complete and utter joke. I no longer watch the olypics, Im not interested in 'celebrating,' that we are hosting in 2012.

Oh and it may create jobs but NOT permanent ones and Theres no one in that 2 weeks the country will make all those billions back.

They have gone WAY over what id think was a reasonable amount to spend of MY tax money. Which could be going to better things, such as helping OAPs with gas and heating.

BUT REALLY are we surprised?

Answer 18

No, they should spend only what they need to get the venues ready for the 2012 games.

Answer 19

No, the resources spent on the current Olympics were obscene.

All we need is Boris up on a platform going 'ah, yes, I declare these um, games thingies, er, open'!

Answer 20

they will earn a lot more, it is a big kick to your own economic.

gov may pay by your tax, but the local biz big n small will earn a lot more back.

and if your country can make it well, people like it. it will be a very good image for your own country.

and good image is a long term investment.

it will be very good for those in travel and tour biz.

unlike the chinese which burn their own image right infront of the world this olympic. shame on them.

Answer 21

Well, you're sort of locked in now.  But think about it this way - much of the Olympic spending will go on infrastructure that will deliver lasting benefits for the city.  Sure you could spend it on 'making poverty history' but given that this usually involves hog-wild welfare spending, that'll just help people out for a couple of years, whereas spending on infrastructure can generate benefits for the long term.