Let's Go Back to Beijing in 2012

Economic crisis makes spending billions on 2012 London Games unjustifiable
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2008 10:11 AM CST
Let's Go Back to Beijing in 2012
Construction work continues on the main stadium for the 2012 Olympic Games, at the Olympic Park site in London, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008. A British newspaper is reporting that Tessa Jowell, the government minister responsible for the Olympics, admitted to leisure industry bosses at a dinner earlier in...   (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

With the economic crisis taking billions out of Britain’s coffers, spending billions more to get ready for the 2012 Olympics makes no sense, writes Alice Miles in the Times of London, who foresees a day when “the unemployed, the homeless, and the destitute will join the athletes parading through London.” The best solution: Give the 2012 Games to already-prepared Beijing.

With 4 years to go, the Olympics budget has already tripled, spent on junk like a $90 million, very un-British basketball stadium. For Miles, the best solution is to cancel the Games, as in wartime. If not, then let China have another go, and let Britain spend money on rebuilding its economy instead of “a big, stupid party.” (More Britain stories.)

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