Major hang over and anti-climax on it's way!

[Pete]

Just a thought that might be worth thinking about. It occurs to me that Britain is currently enjoying one of it's finest hours as a nation. I can vouch as a fellow Brit, that the Olympics have been an enormous boost to the happiness and feeling of well being within the nation. There is a palpable sense of national pride and a sense that the Olympics have allowed London to demonstrated the very best of our multi-cultural society.

People are proud to be apart of this wonderful event and have thoroughly enjoyed the fact that that we have embraced the games as a nation.

It has come as quite a surprise to all of us to see a nation of approx 70 million people compete as successfully against the usual dominant nations, even though, we understand the home advantage. Generally we accept that we are good-also rans and as nice as it is to win we are not used to winning. We also accepted that we could never compete with China's awe inspiring display, but we have been impressed that the London Olympics has a more human and personal feel.

Unfortunately though, all good things have to come to an end!

There is one hell of an anti climax on it's way!

It's going to be like cold turkey. For the past 6 years London has been working towards the culmination of the games. Vast resources have been made available to make it so which has poured money into the economy providing jobs and focus to thousands. Stepney has been transformed from wasteland to a thriving centre of the worlds attention. Yet within 2 weeks, the crowds will be gone and the cold reality of the situation will dawn upon us all.

The money has been spent. The clean up commences, life returns to normal, the excitement has gone. People employed to bring the games to fruition will suddenly find themselves scratching around for work or resigned to going back to job-seekers allowance.

What do you think will be the most likely outcome of these factors?

[Vrilya]

I think it will be the conscienceness and intent of all the people of the UK and beyond. Everyone must live through their hearts with pure intent and love...

Blessings and love always,
V

[pyrangello]

Such a heighten energy level , really leaves the feeling of wow when finished, and an energy vortex withdrawl, fill that with a pat on the back for a good job from many of us around the world that so much enjoyed your hospitaity and take a well deserved break after it is over with. :)

[Ellisa]

Oh Pete! That is so very British of you! Yes there will be a downer at the end of this-- but in the meantime enjoy this lovely moment in the sun and for once don't think of the future. In about 6 days it will all be over-- and the glow will fade, but there will be lovely memories and a sense of what can be done when everyone has the will to do their best and work together. The people who remember this feeling can never have it taken from them, and will be happier forever because of the experience.

Well done to Britain and the Londoners who lent their home city to the world for a fortnight!! Enjoy it while you can, and store the present sunshine for the rainy times which will come--- but I hope not too soon.

*And that is from Oz-- where there are 22 million of us and we are second best at the moment nearly every sporting area- But we still remember our sunshine moment in 2000 when the Olympics shone for us too! It was wonderful, it can't last but having the experience of such national achievement is an enduring pleasure.*

[Pete]

Well, i'm sure the British people will bask in the reflected glory of a job well done. but after the applause dies down there is the realisation that life has to go back to normal, what do you think the people will be left with.

When the Olympics ends we will have had for over 5 weeks, a continual stream of only one story which the people would have lapped up. After all, it makes such a nice change to wallow in feel good rather than war, monetary collapse, corruption and talking heads talking the talk with no walk to back it up. Do you think that such extremes of perspective might act as a catalyst.

I wonder if we are about to reach a pivotal moment, we have seen how nations can coexist peacefully and take enjoyment from individual endeavour and courage, we have seen the strength of a multi-cultural nation and how that clearly strengthens the team. We are about to witness the very best of human spirit during the para-Olympics. We are all going to witness the potential that all of us have, the strength to re-build shattered lives and to stand up and be counted.

Having been so inspired do you think the British people will simply curl up and accept there is no hope, to trust in vacuous politicians and their stream of continuous broken promises. Why should they accept less when they know more is possible, they have just witnessed "more" and they loved it!

It seems to me that the London Olympics has been a bubble of prosperity which has allowed London to remain in denial that there is any real problem at all. It has provided work and kept money circulating. It has buoyed up the London property market, which is how Londoners gauge their own personal standing and wealth. However, whilst all this was going on, the rest of the country was slipping into a death spiral. Where is the stimulus to re-invigorate the economy?

Where are the jobs coming from. We were told by the lovely Margaret Thatcher and her side kick Tony that we were the leading edge of a new revolution, moving from manufacturing led economy to a service led economy and the people slept walked into a lie that allowed "the powers that were" to systematically de-construct our society. They sold our manufacturing base and our expertise, They squandered our natural resources or simply closed down viable industries, they closed down our agricultural base and literally paid farmers to keep the fields empty. They used benefits to create a feckless generation and to undermine the peoples morality to break up the idea of family and last but not least they created the environment in which we all became debtors to the banks.

We have loved feeling great, we have enjoyed the sense of a job well done, we have enjoyed being a part of the most successful games to date. We don't want it to stop, we know what we are capable of, why should we now accept a future of less prescribed by our so called ruling elite? Why should we accept austerity to pay for their mismanagement. Do you think we might begin to question our governments ability or intent. do you think it possible that such an extreme sea change in national fortune may assist with the public realisation we have been conned?

Personally, I think the anti climax we are going to hit is going to be so large it will stun us into a new paradigm. Just like a slap in the face can bring it all back into focus. We are about to get some clarity and there is nothing the media can do to lessen the impact of a very painful bout of cold turkey.