I didn't want to hijack the other thread, but here I'd like to discuss the funding of the olympics vs. starvation.
The olympics do not directly feed the mouths of the hungry, but they do seem to help unify the world and give kids and young adults aspirations to do the same. Most of the athletes are sort of like ambassadors for their country, representing large and small populations of people from across the globe.
I can't help but think space exploration is kind of like the olympics of science. The worlds best and brightest work for Nasa, not just Americans. NASA also reminds us to dream and dream big. That is something the majority of the world also tunes into.
And although the olympics and NASA aren't probably the first thing someone who is starving will turn on TV and watch (since they likely do not have TV's), (although they may have access to a TV in a public square, but I digress), they do give hope and aspirational goals to many many people in the world. These kinds of large scale reminders that together we can solve problems (and do). Look at Bill and Melinda Gates and countless other wealthy individuals who serve the world on a massive scale. Then there are people like my Uncles, they grew up playing sports. Sports teaches people numerous lessons about life. They are philanthropists, and serve the least of these on a daily basis in their local cities.
Do the Olympics cost a lot of money? Sure they do... Does NASA spend a lot of money? Obviously. But do the worlds problems supersede mankinds destiny to explore the world we live in, from the depths of the sea (such as James Cameron and others), or for our athletes to push themselves to break records in front of crowds of billions?
They Olympics reminds everyone to:
Never, Never, Never Give Up. (winston churchill)
The olympics do not directly feed the mouths of the hungry, but they do seem to help unify the world and give kids and young adults aspirations to do the same. Most of the athletes are sort of like ambassadors for their country, representing large and small populations of people from across the globe.
I can't help but think space exploration is kind of like the olympics of science. The worlds best and brightest work for Nasa, not just Americans. NASA also reminds us to dream and dream big. That is something the majority of the world also tunes into.
And although the olympics and NASA aren't probably the first thing someone who is starving will turn on TV and watch (since they likely do not have TV's), (although they may have access to a TV in a public square, but I digress), they do give hope and aspirational goals to many many people in the world. These kinds of large scale reminders that together we can solve problems (and do). Look at Bill and Melinda Gates and countless other wealthy individuals who serve the world on a massive scale. Then there are people like my Uncles, they grew up playing sports. Sports teaches people numerous lessons about life. They are philanthropists, and serve the least of these on a daily basis in their local cities.
Do the Olympics cost a lot of money? Sure they do... Does NASA spend a lot of money? Obviously. But do the worlds problems supersede mankinds destiny to explore the world we live in, from the depths of the sea (such as James Cameron and others), or for our athletes to push themselves to break records in front of crowds of billions?
They Olympics reminds everyone to:
Never, Never, Never Give Up. (winston churchill)
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