When I saw that the indoor Olympic diving pool water turned algae green by mistake, I just laughed, but then sighed.
I wonder what it would be like if all Olympic water related events were required to to be held in natural settings. Would seeing the likes of Michael Phelps motoring across a pond be as exciting? Perhaps, but then it would not be as exacting. It would be more difficult to compare performances historically without controlling for water, temperature, wind speeds, floating sewage, etc.
Perhaps the human solution for enjoying all of the delights of water can be found in concrete, plastic and chemical water additives. Pure water could be saved for corporate bottling and sale for drinking.
Increasingly, in the real world beyond the Olympic Village, the competition for water is on. Not that long ago you could cup you hands and drink water for free lots of places. Nowadays not so much.
Not that long ago you could dump anything you didn’t want into water in many places. This is more difficult to do today. You need to pay off the right people or do it in a hurry.
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The Olympics is not just an event where the ideal of competition can be celebrated. It can be a time to contemplate the value of its opposite.
I think that love of sport and love of nature are two of the greatest loves of many men. Combining the two is very popular as well. When men cooperate with other men to preserve fair play and natural settings good things can happen.
Many traditionally female values are cooperative in nature. Women’s sometimes greater atonement to their bodies leads to an interest in acting in accordance with the flows of nature.
Many traditionally masculine values are competitive in nature. Men traditionally have valued seeking to tame and control nature.
As more and more women are allowed and encouraged to participate in competitive sport, there is hope that more and more men will be encouraged to cooperate with each other and with women. It could be that the rising tide of Climate Change caused by competing with nature will be the thing that will bring us together to better realize that we are nature.
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Many traditionally masculine values are competitive in nature. Men traditionally have valued seeking to tame and control nature.
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The seas have climate change have begun their destruction. More is on the way.The scope of these changes will be epic. If the growing threat of not enough clean water and too much flood water is met by bitter competitions for dwindling supplies and higher ground, closing ceremonies for many will be coming sooner, rather than later.
Ideal competition in this regard is competition with previous best efforts. The way that the Olympics could symbolize this ideal, would be to do away with all identification with country.
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The best athletes in the world would compete to try to exceed the limits of human performance. Identification and love of one’s talents and dedication to honing those talents is golden. Linking individuals to Nation states and/or corporations to compete as champion representatives less so.
Hosting countries could host a host of cooperative groups to clean up natural settings for these athletes to show their stuff.
Before you turn on your monitor to watch more Olympics, picture this. Picture athletes marching under one flag into natural settings to demonstrate the limits of human athletic skill totally funded by viewers like you. You can continue to do this when the commercials come on. That’s what I plan on doing.
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Source: 30dB.com – Rio and Water
“Social is no fan of the water of Rio where some ask the question of why the IOC would subject the athletes to this potential danger. Fair question. But if participating in concrete rivers and pools increases athlete safety then we’re all for it.” – Howard K. 30dB
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Photo credit: Getty Images