The Olympics showcase amazing athletes, but the games can also serve to improve the state of the entire world. At least that's the take a prime minister and academic publication has on the event. Others are not so sure the Olympics are good for the world -- or even good for much at all.
Recognition
Recognition is an all-around world benefit of the Olympics, according to Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Wharton University. Individual athletes and teams get their day in the sun, of course, but the recognition also stretches beyond the stellar athletes. The host country gets a chance to promote and showcase itself as a modern nation which, in turn, can lead to respect from and improved relations with other countries. Internal relations within the country and patriotism can also improve with residents banding together with pride in the overall support of their nation. Hosting the Olympics has historically led to increased trade among many nations, with imports and exports.
Globalization
The Olympics bring the world together as one big unified force, according to Reinfeldt. The togetherness not only arises from athletes from different countries competing side by side but also with the overall interaction among the various countries. Such interaction can lead to stronger bonds among countries and a unified front for dealing with worldwide issues, such as global warming and pollution.
Cleaner Environment
Speaking of pollution, the Olympics force at least the host country to get into high gear with the cleanup crews, Wharton University notes. For the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, for instance, prompted the Chinese government to make environmentally friendly changes throughout the country. These included improved vehicle emissions standards, an addition of nearly 4,000 clean-burning buses and five new subway lines. Even if particular improvements were in dire need to begin with, hosting the Olympics forces the host country into action. Doing their part to clean up their corner of the globe ultimately serves to improve the overall environment for everyone.
They Are Not Good for World
Despite all the positive reasoning, not everyone thinks the Olympics are, in fact, good for the world. A case in point comes from "New York" magazine, where author Jason Zengerle warned the world not to believe the Olympic hype. He argues against the Olympics as doing little more than serving as fraudulent show full of empty promises of world peace. People are not going to stop hating -- or even fighting wars -- just to stop and watch the Olympics, he notes. Besides, he adds, the Olympics largely offers obscure sports that many people forget even existed.
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