Ultra Gamesmanship

The greatest show on earth is underway. The spectacle of the Olympic Games presented to the world at large. An especial gift from China, this year pairing with stunning opening theatricals. Precision presentation of human choreography, a triumph of human ingenuity, a celebration of all that human beings can aspire to in song and dance and a fireworks of aspirations to achieve the status of first-place winner in a frenetic contest to be acclaimed the greatest of their time.

It's become a cliche, but nonetheless true, that these games of the Olympic spirit whose purpose it is to provide a hiatus between world conflicts, to distract from enmities, to attract to the arena of sport and athletics the best and the brightest from around the world, are, in the reality of their demonstrable nationalist contestant-capability a proxy for war itself.

Their achievements to reflect the pride of their nations. A very visible and very valued demonstration of that nation's ability to stimulate athletic prowess unequalled elsewhere, in a sporadic, ongoing gathering of aspirants. Trading, however temporarily, the martial arts of battle for the arenas of athletic competition. The glory of first-place achievement reflecting on the alter-competence of the nation.

Hostilities between countries diplomatically set aside for the duration of the games. Political and ideological differences, suspicions, grievances taking a back seat to the allure and the glamour and the hopes inherent in each country's elite athletes competing to burnish the honour of the nation. With the medals come the country's anthem, a solemn flag-bearing and pride-enhancing metaphor for victory on another type of battlefield.

The host country going out of its way to welcome its guests, anxious that its hospitality be seen as sincere cordiality so that the watching world, enraptured with the athletic prowess displayed, the breathtaking displays of human achievement in motion, the grace of performance, the anxiety of placing at the forefront of success, will also reflect well upon it. And what better venue for athletes to compete than on their very own turf, passionately encouraged by their countrymen?

China, in particular, has been breathless with anxiety over the suspension of goodwill extended to most other countries that have hosted the games. The criticisms that have been levelled at China, the bane of her self-regard in reminding her time and again how the world perceives that great nation lacking in respect of human rights, have rankled beyond endurance. China's grace in insisting beyond reality that all will be resolved, and let the games proceed, has prevailed.

A breathtaking sum funding equally breathtaking games infrastructures. A well rehearsed and precise theatre of immense proportions, skill and aptitude to entertain world leaders and those fortunate enough to be in attendance, beamed by satellite all over the world. The behemoth that is China, the geography, the population, now the emerging economic giant, demonstrating its pride before the world.

It has invested much in these games, and it will have been well repaid if, in years to come, peoples' perception of China, its politics and its relations with other countries will have graduated toward support of human rights universally. In the meantime, the grand spectacle of an entertainment unmatched anywhere in the venues of the past, unfolds as it will. The unfortunate aspects of climate, weather and the country's dismal atmospheric pollution remain an obvious sour point.

The costs associated with Beijing's horribly polluting industries having been shut down for a month will be telling on its economy, already in a backward slide, given the world economic downturn and current energy prices. But for the moment, it is the sterling qualities of world-class athletes demonstrating their amazing athletic prowess, their skill and capability, their determination, that has the world agog.

China is determined to fete the world in a grand style and in that it is succeeding. The irritants of protest for Tibet, of Muslim separatist assaults, even of a deranged Chinese man mortally attacking visitors to the country are background to the success that China demands of her monumental effort. Success counted in terms of high regard for her efforts, of recognition of the huge changes that have taken place in the country, of the record-count of Chinese athletic awards.

For the athletes, the events mark the culmination of their dreams as elite performers. Their talent, fitness, health, commitment, arduous practise of a sport that has consumed them as they set aside for the time it takes to reach prime condition, all other aspects of their life, mark this as their life goal. For the athletes it's not power politics, but the power of positive thinking and forcing their bodies to perform beyond the slight edge of human endurance.

For them the contest has the potential to result in a personal victory, vindication of their single-minded focus on their sport. Their victory will be their country's gain in pride and prestige, and that too has great meaning for the successful athlete. In providing that outstanding proof that their victory highlights the heights to which humankind can aspire, they are celebrated as premiers in their field, without peer.

For the countries whose athletes' performances are in the highest percentile of perfection, the suspense and tension of the contest reflect on their perceived success as a country, providing the opportunities for their superior citizens to perform at this stratospheric level of physical attainment. China and the United States, those two huge powers, facing off, their proxies contesting one another's abilities.

The International Olympic Committee is fond of describing itself and its goals as strictly non-political, but they've always been political. Granting venue dispensation at cardinal times of national importance to any number of countries of the world. When Russia invaded Afghanistan, the United States and others boycotted the games held there. A compliment later returned by Russia when the games were held in the United States.

Russia has now invaded Georgia in a spectacular display of boorish militancy, calling its involvement there a "peacekeeping" operation. Russia, with its massive armaments, soldiery, and anger, as opposed to Georgia's relatively minuscule forces and military equipment. No contest there, as Georgia pulls back and Russia continues its brutal advance. The world pleads for calm. And the games go on.

Diplomacy prevails in the games venue. Russian and Georgian competitors shake hands. While Russian planes bomb Georgian cities, its international airport. Another distraction for the Beijing-held Olympics, one that the world can help China shrug off, for the moment. The IOC did not feel it was required of it to suspend the day's activities, nor hang its flag at half-mast, when Israeli athletes were murdered in 1972 in Munich, why would it be disturbed now?

The ideal of human perfection in athletic performance goes on, and so it should. The ideal implied in the venue of the games where the world contributes its most capable and outstanding athletes to a temporary truce in suspicion and hostilities with the hope of extension far beyond the games will remain an illusion.