£30,000,000,000 Olympics

Tuesday 24th July 2012 10:24 pm

''Big Ben will chime 40 times in three minutes on Friday as part of a mass bell-ringing event marking the start of the Olympics....''

They said it 'would be a tonic to the nation'

Initial estimated cost £2,400,000,000

those wonderful

1000's of armed soldiers

hard-pressed people

1000's of armed police

in-charge of the Olympics

jet-fighters

(and all the spirit thereof)

war-ships

have asked the nation

special road lanes

to ring their doorbells

thousands of dinners for the 'dignitries'

in an act of spiritual and

10,000 security guards

cultural bonhomie-

so who's gonna

I wonder how many gold medals

supply the batteries?

corporate 'Team GB' are really costing?

and the bill goes on and on and...

helicopters...and new technologies

on...

words and foto T Carroll

◄ Paris ahead...

You read the literature or lets wash their dirty linen in public ►

Comments

Jon

Tue 21st Aug 2012 09:56

Wow.So true Tommy.

Martin Peacock

Wed 8th Aug 2012 11:01

I know of someone whose stated intent it was to go around his street at 8.15am ringing doorbells to 'encourage' his neighbours to watch the opening ceremony, as an act of...what, I don't know. Patriotic pride? A celebration of this 'wonderful' sporting event? If he'd done that at my door I'd have shot him with shit. Bollocks to 'simply not watching it' or addressing the financial returns: I feel as though I'm drowning in quicklime. BBC 1 and 3 hijacked, BBC2 showing hour-long 'catch-up' programmes [hmmm, and who's paying for this? Me], Olympic news taking precedent over all other...never mind that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, we've won another tinpot [not really gold at all] medal! All those Olympic lovers, I wonder how they would they feel if their airwaves were suddenly inundated with my preferred TV viewing? Live concerts of uncommercial bands [electro-acoustic improv., Japanese thrash punk, minimalism, ATP instead of Glastins Holiday camp footage], 12hours per day of anti-establishment, revolutionary documentaries, hardcore porn [kidding], a primetime serial dramatising the development of the anarchist movement through the 19/20th centuries, in-depth panel shows seriously and levelly debating the merits of psychotropic drugs over alcohol...oooh, how the world would quibble then!

In the meantime, one in five shops in Accrington are closed - the spaces are being filled with betting shops...dedicated to sport! - and the population is decreasing. I'm with ya 100% on this, Tommy! [Although I'd still make football pay-per-view.]

Laura Taylor

Thu 26th Jul 2012 16:05

*stands up and applauds*

Couldn't have said it better meself.

Tommy Carroll

Thu 26th Jul 2012 14:50

To all those adults who are thrilled by the Olympics.
To all those sportspeople who are on the point of hysteria over the Olympics.
To all those in charge of or likely to financially gain from the Olympics.
To all those in the media -epecially the BBC-who have become 'embedded' into the circus,
the following:

I say that the cost will not be met nor exceeded by the income. But the politicians and their cohorts will cook-da-books to make sure the figures are pleasing. You read the literature.

What income raised will be creamed off by big-business. You read the literature.

It is an unconscionable excess at any time- but in one of austerity it is an outrage. You read the literature.

Massive inconvenience to the public, especially in London. You read the literature.

The undermining of civil liberties and the handing over to private business functions of the state. You read the literature.

Who gives a toss about drug addled cheats with their sham amateurism. You read the literature.

£30,000,000,000 could supply help and facilities to very many local and national voluntary organisations that are desperate for funding and those people who are financially, emotionally and socially excluded. You read the literature.

Imagine those real sporting facilities that could be built across the 'GB' for ALL citizens, especially the young. You read the literature.

While peoples houses, cars and property are being robbed and children abused, the police are 'bobbying' it at the Olympics. You read the literature.

...and as for tourists being welcomed to the event- hundreds of people in London on short term lets are being evicted to make way for the 'wealthy' You read the literature.

Royal Navy Warships, RAF helicopters and jets, Rapier missiles and 14,000 British soldiers have been deployed (more than in Afghanistan) You read the literature.

This above is but a sample, You read the itemised bill.

John Coopey

Wed 25th Jul 2012 22:28

Don't watch it if it upsets you, Tommy!

M.C. Newberry

Wed 25th Jul 2012 14:31

But I think the cost will be less than the dosh
the event is bringing into the country - with
its value to tourism in the long term: to
London as an Olympic city and the UK in general.
Let's stop knocking - and start clapping.

Laura Taylor

Wed 25th Jul 2012 12:51

Love it - think it works well as a poem, and as you MAY know, I 100% agree with your beliefs on this

Cracker this Tommy

Yvonne Brunton

Tue 24th Jul 2012 23:50

I trust they are paying Ben overtime rates for ringing so often! I hope it won't b****r up the six o'clock news.

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