This is purely for writing practice and does not represent my true opinion on the subject.
PLAN:5MIN
The cost of the 2016 Rio de Janerio Summer Olympic Games was estimated to be $20 billion dollars.
-The Olympics may be a great metaphor for world cooperation but there are other ways
-p1 money wasted stadiums left behind, cost opportunity, athletes, travel/congestion, maintenance
p2 where the money could have gone, war/charities/building, why say you can't afford certain things if you can afford others, the low level of education
p3 alternatives, come together different ways, sporting opportunities
START:30MIN
The Olympics are one of the most significant international events, rising to the surface in the times of the Ancient Greeks and boasting an extensive, fascinating history behind its creation and development over the years. Every four years the best of the best athletes from around the world flock to a specially selected city to compete-so it clearly seems like a big deal. However, is the attention that it attracts really a good thing? It's often worshiped so much that huge expenses go into it, from athletes' personal investments to the massive celebrations that take place every year it occurs. Not only this, but often the money is wasted-it's not like an international sporting event will further help any financial problems or people in need, but some of the things that come out of the Olympics have more negative benefits than you might think. Under all the flashy dancers, medals and parades, you'll find yourself realising the Olympics are a little more sinister than you think.
Money in general is always percieved as something that tends to easily go down the drain-so add all the expenses that go into a phenomenal event such as the Olympics, and you'll figuratively see so much money wasted it's practically flooding onto the streets. Even scientific evidence backs this up-the last Olympics in Rio wasted about 20 BILLION dollars-and that's just the summer games. At the very least this includes building venues, stadiums, transport and renovations. And even worse-after the games a majority of the venues went unsold because no one was interested in buying them, and so they deteriorated. The pool turned orange, the stadium became a 'ghost town' and Rio struggled in paying basic jobs from teachers to the common hospital worker after the games. Even the power cut off after bills were unpaid-so does the glamour really last all that long? And other than those 20 billion dollars, more money builds up into the event without us even knowing. Think about athletes personally wasting money on fancy sports equipment, the captivating celebrations that take place and the staggering amount of money that goes into maintenance and travel expenses. That doesn't get counted, but in the end it could even double the previous sum and yet no one blinks an eye at the effects once the event has passed and life moves on. Do you really think all stripping cities of basic financial budgets and leaving them to struggle for years afterward is worth it, just for the few moments of glamour?
So now you know about how bad the waste can get and what effects it can have-but if you think you can't be upset any further, think again. Think about the opportunity cost-what all that money could have done if it was used properly. Even in the most productive, liveable first-world cities there can be gaping financial holes and problems. It's practically unavoidable. There will always be homeless people, orphans or endangered animals. Even in cities filled with towering skyscrapers will there be at least the one dilapidated building. And if a city is doing well, who's stopping it from having the resources to keep supporting and growing itself? Well, if the Olympics are going to be held there, then that's who. That one year of glory for a few lucky athletes can result in families all over going hungry for the next few years. If it weren't for the 2016 Olympics, various people in Rio could have brought home enough money to sustain their families by now. That's just the reality. However, we could prevent it from happening more and more in the future-and it's much, much easier than you think.
You might be wondering now, 'So how do we stop all this money from being wasted?' In reality, the best financial choice would be to cancel the Olympics outright and save money as early as we can. On the other hand, it's also blatantly clear that many people, from athletes who train for years to people whose jobs revolve around major sporting events wouldn't like that decision. A lot of people also state such sporting events bring cultures and people together-and that's true. But it's not like the Olympics are our last resort. There are plenty of other opportunities worldwide for people to come together, sport or non-sport related. Smaller events don't just mean less hassle and financial strain, but they also mean you get to see the more heartfelt, connected side of things. You wouldn't even have to cancel the Olympics-just shift less focus off it, and educate people on being smarter with their money when it comes to the Olympics. Venues could be reused, other cities could be in on the expenses, and more selective athlete selection are just a few of the options. The best thing would be that it would seem as if nothing even changed-but you'll see that over the years, the benefits from being smarter with the money will really have an impact. And that's the most rewarding part about it.
This memorable sports event is affecting us in so many more ways than we know and if we don't put a stop to it, our futures, society and environment will be doomed before we know it. So much money is poured into this event that is merely a year long, but the effects can weigh down jobs, governments and people for decades to come. Not only don't we realise just how much we waste, but we don't see just how easy it would be to use it for better things-or better yet, simply strain our brains for a few moments to be a bit more money-smart. However, it's not too late. Having an awareness is always the start to change, and if you're aware of the problem, that's one more person who has the potential to spread the word, and make a change. So will it be you?
Whoops-went overtime :O
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