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Olympia
The most common question asked about the 2004 Olympics is "Do you think Greece can pull it off?" That's a tough question. Those with a cynical attitude towards the Greeks and their laid-back attitudes about life believe that it is impossible and the Olympics in Athens will be a disaster if they even materialize.
They point to the chaos of modern Athens and what they describe as Byzantine politics and an Olympic commitee whose main agenda seemed to be the drapes in their offices instead of construction that was falling dangerously behind schedule. Some point to Salt Lake City and the scandals there and say "If the religious state of Utah can be corrupted by the money that the winter Olympics can bring in, what about Greece, where large sums of EEC money for social and infrastructure improvements end up in Swiss bank accounts and politicians and officials first order of business is to make sure they are financially secure before they worry about the needs of their constituents."
But I believe the Olympics can be pulled off because I think the country is changing. I think the Greek attitude towards corruption and incompetence is being altered by the scrutiny Greece is receiving because of incidents in the last couple years. The anti-NATO demonstrations, the Clinton Riots and the sinking of the ferry boat Samina have made many Greeks realize that a handful of idiots are making the whole country look like jerks. Because of this the Greeks are determined to pull off these Olympics and prove to the world and themselves that they are not one step away from being Third World, but they are a serious partner of the larger countries who are forging the future.
Keep in mind that when they are successful in hosting the 2004 Olympics they will be the smallest country to do so since 1896 when they hosted the first modern Olympics, and before that the only country that ever hosted it was Greece, in the town known as Olympia in the Peloponessos.
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