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Ten Years Later: The Greek Olympic Wasteland In Photos
Ten years ago, when Europe was successfully pretending it is solvent for the benefit of German exports and Greece was happily masking its budget deficit disaster with Goldman Sachs currency swaps, the Olympic flame was about to light up the Athenian night sky. As BBC reports, the return of the Games to the Olympics' spiritual home was widely hailed as a success at the time. Now, not so much and most Greeks view the Athens Olympics with anger as a contributing factor to the country's economic catastrophe. The Games cost almost twice their projected budget, with organisers not opting to use any temporary, collapsible venues, as other host cities have done.
In total, Greece spent over $10 billion on the Games. "The Games were a lost opportunity, no doubt about it," admits former Athens 2004 spokesman Stratos Safioleas.
Sadly for the broke country, that is an understatement. Here, ten years later, is the wasteland which is all that's left of the 2004 summer Olympics.
We would strongly urge against diving in this particular pool.
The Athens Olympics came in almost 100% over budget, yet many of the venues now lie disused
The Athens Olympics organisers opted not to build any temporary venues, leaving permanent structures with little use, like the softball stadium
The canoe-kayak centre at Hellinikon has been left to completely dry up
The Olympic village is now covered in graffiti
The beach volleyball stadium is now overgrown with plants
The swimming pool where Michael Phelps won six gold medals is now completely empty
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"I've sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum I've put them on the map!"
So much stimulus, so little time
the only olympics that has been recycled in good using is norvege.
astonishing there on the using of the structures at lillehammer.
0% waste.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGJX9tutZEA
Greeks have been famous for building ruins for the past 2000 years.
U know, the Greeks built some nice stuff, the problem is the Germans keep coming every now and again to fuck everything up.
First the Nazis did it with their thievery. . . . soo much Architecture, Art, Statues Marble etc . . . entire palaces . . . were stolen by the Nazis. . .
Then the filthy Germans came again and scammed Greece with central banking . . . .
After wwII, Greece was probably the only country that didn't receive any war reparations. . . the German Nazi Scum seized all the wealth, gold, art and even THE MEN from the country, my Grandmother lost two brothers when the Germans invaded, they hauled all the men in her family away on boats in chains and took them god knows where, most say the boats were downed, my grandma actually has a saying, that she wont eat fish from the sea because the fish ate her brothers.
Thats the real history of Greece, Greek people invented everything, and the world is jealous.
The current state of Greece is a direct result of how evil Germany is and has been historically, if Greece got its war reparations after WWII and was left alone, it would be a thriving nation state right now, but they came and dumped their EURO scam on them and raped the entire nations economy. . . because they are Jealous that Greece is probably the most beautiful chunk of land in all of Europe, they also have the best food, the best music, the best alcohol, the best drunk people and the best beaches.
The best thing that could happen to Greece right now is for the Euro to collapse completely.
"Thats the real history of Greece, Greek people invented everything, and the world is jealous."
hahhahaha....typical grecian.
"Typical grecian" seems unjust.
Probably not a hellenic Grecian...
Well, history seems not to be your hobby.
Who was in Greece, before the Germans came?
The Brits? And was Britain at war with Germany?
And regarding the claim that the Germans plundered Greece: What did they plunder or steal?
The Nazis were - contrary to the Communists and Plutocrats - the biggest admirers of the ancient Greek culture! The Nazis fought for the preservation of the European culture and race, and started lots of research, to uncover the part of European history that was destroyed by Christianity, also in Greece, while the Red globalists in Moscow and the Orange ones in London and New York have been working for a World Government and the dissolution of the nation states.
All over Europe the Germans preserved and protected European art. Paris and Rome were not defended militarily to avoid destruction. Art and pictures were stored in old mines.
Your claim is so ridiculous that I smell something: CHUTZPAH...
The IMF destrioyed Greece...it's what they do....
As opposed to the US government who have been ruinning countries for decades now.
Greece,,,where you get fucked in the ass and you don't mind.
You are an ass.
Someone's pussy got hurt today. Let's have a pity party for newworldorder.
More greek ruins to dig up in another 2000 years
Besides thousands of stray dogs there are now also thousands of brand new, unexperienced hookers! I am not kidding here, talked to a Greek friend the other day on the phone and Greek student girls are more and more resorting to the oldest craft in the world...
Sad. A once proud country, cultural rich and now getting Goldmansachsed!
Malinvestment
The Olympic's many wasting away sites around the world that cost millions of dollars to build are a stunning testament to our throw-away society. Any country that's wants the "privlidge" of hosting them are right out of their collective minds.
My brother has been involved with the NBC production side of the Olympics since Sydney, Australia..."rank corruption" is how he describes doing business in Athens, Turin and Sochi.
Thankd god that Australia isn't corrupt!
Greek ruins... Greece... Fount of western civilization... It kind of gives me a sense of foreboding. The images and thoughts of ruins, stray dogs, perhaps with ribs showing... Tumble weeds everywhere, silence but for the moaning wind through the empty stands. A premonition of a tomorrow to come. The ruins of western civilization. A planetary Detroit. Somewhere on a beach maybe just east of where L.A. used to be several people in sealed suits watch the bloody sun setting between the towering forms of half submerged skyscrapers. On their belts gieger counters click, warning them to return below. Human civilizations day was done, now all but watch and wait for the final end to come.
Goodnight ! Sleep tight ! Don't let the giant Ebola carrying radioactive cockroaches bite !
Misallocation of capital and resources. All completely wasted.
Something tells me the Olympics to be held in Brazil will either never happen or the events will involve only archery, marksmanship, running, swimming, boxing, ultimate fighting and synchronated rioting.
The "Olympics" is a scam.
End of story.
It is the way they do it ... it could be just fine if it were run in existing venues without spending counless billions on all the new crap
Curses, I had almost got Mitt Romney talking points out of my head from the 2012 presidential election. One of his favorites was "Mitt Romney turned around the salt lake city Olympic games, Mitt Romney is a great business man. Real leadership experience is what guys like Mitt Romney have. Vote for me, Mitt Romney"
He used this campaign pitch as much or more than any other. It was not until later we found out that Mitt Romney's wife has a multi-million dollar, tax free, competitive my little pony hobby that participates in the tax payer funded Olympic games.
The olympics is one of the rings in the circus, as in Bread and Circuses and a very handy vehicle for crony capitalism to pay off those who help it along.
The athletes are either just as corrupt as the organizers, or dupes. The whole thing is corrupt. Corrupted by money (always the way of things). Athletes who are supposed to be the best examples of human performance now destroy their health with all kinds of 'performance enhancing' subtances and practices, because the financial incentives are so huge. A gold in a popular event is worth millions.
The love of money is the root of all evil.
By the way, just so nobody misunderstands, I'm an atheist, but if I find wisdom, i don't care where.
Agree. Scam city. 10 BILLION??? Are they serious. ??? They waste 10 billion for that?? You got to be kidding me!! So can go swimming. ? You people ( Olympic lovers) are mentally ill to spend that money in today's world
are you sure that's not pictures of Detroit ?
know how they separate the men from the boys in GREECE.......?
WITH A CROWBAR
fond memories of running out of athens restaurants without paying,being chased down the street and jumping in a cab... breaking hundreds of plates in the bazouki joints, ( i think they may be banned .. not sure)
and going crazy with ouzo and what is it grappa..... i think its what comes out of a diesel engine with an oil change...
love the way the olympics told moochelle and obola to go fuck themselves..... they thought it was a shoe in and they and valerie jarrett bought chicago slums in anticipation of olympic construciton profits.... three scumbag slum landlords ha ha ha ha..
jokes aside, it’s a shame, but indicative of our "throw away" society...just like the crap most of us are forced to buy due to a lack of better alternatives, everything is made to be rebought and replaced after a very short life span.
Ozymandias
Well, it's not a total loss. I imagine the Olympics folks made out well...
(yes, that was sarcasm)
IMF: Fuckin countries up since it's creation!
Too bad Olympic debt wasn't secured by Olympic venues.
It is worth to notice that under "Socialist" PM Kostas Simitis, Greece entered the neoliberal era of banking lending and bubble economy. He and his "close group" in the government are remembered as the "modernizers", and this period marked the beginning of transformation of the Socialist party into a neoliberal political formation. In essence, "modernization" was the word that had been used instead of "neoliberalism".
A series of scandals shook the Greek society during the period of his governance, with the most characteristic, the Athens stock exchange scandal in 1999 (http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/news/article/stock-exchange-scandal-case-to-be-...), bribes from purchasing defence systems (http://www.enetenglish.gr/?i=news.en.article&id=1521), and the over-costing of the disastrous for the Greek economy Olympics of 2004. It is characteristic that until now, according to some well-known journalists in Greece, no one knows the real cost of the Olympics, as it hasn't been announced yet!
http://failedevolution.blogspot.gr/2014/07/former-negotiator-reveals-gre...
I went to Greece on vacation in the mid 90's, and saw a completely different place. Graffiti was present, but rare even in Athens. In three weeks, I saw a total of one homeless person. Prostitutes were few, and only in Athens from what I could tell. Homes were modest, but clean and well kept. Trash on the streets was almost non-existent.
Most of the people encountered had an attitude that I read as confidence, verging on arrogance, and a tremendous national pride.
More recently, I spoke with an early-sixties Greek woman who had come to the U.S. approximately 2 years ago, that offered some "insights" to me. She informed me that the general citizenry bore no responsibility for Greece's financial decline, and that the government should make good on every promise made. The citizens are not accountable for believing the "beautiful lies" they were told? Yes, anyone who has spent time investigating, knows politicians, and bankers played their part in that failure. As in any country though, you are responsible for due diligence in separating truth from fiction.
Interesting that this woman (unemployed, uninsured) with such a strong belief in her own entitlement, made her way to the teet of uncle sam to help ensure an additional drain on resources here. From my perspective, America has become a magnet for countless individuals from other failed social experiments. With them (like this woman), they frequently bring little in the way of contribution.
I agree. The corruption of the system of government in the US doesn't seem any less corrupt than that of Greece when looking at it honestly.
Europe is MUCH further down the path of government corruption and the Socialist dead end than the United States.
This, even AFTER 6 years of relentless destruction, and a steady march toward Collectivism with the RaceMarxist as the front man.
There are many who think like the early-sixties Greek woman you described, and many who think the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of it's citizens.
Montreal 1976 was the last Olympic Games, in the western hemisphere, which was funded entirely from taxpayers/public funds
From 1984 onwards, each city staging the Olympic Games was allowed to stage the games using public and private funding.
Montreal only finished paying for the 1976 Games, 20 years later.
No city, in the western hemisphere staging the Games from 1984 onwards, should be loss making. If they are loss making, then that is a result of corruption, incompetence or a combination of both.
Lets see your math.
Do you finance a new car and go on one trip with it then abandon it when its over? Yeah, but I've got sponsors so its okay. On the way I just have to remember to buy a Big Mac with my Visa and then wash it down with a Coke.
+100, a point lost on so many people. Just like the stooopid cows of Arlington Texas voted themselves a bond debt to help out poor old Jerry Jones, of the Dallas Cowboys. I mean he warned them that if they didn't support this fascist endeavor, the DeathStar, he might take those millionaire ghetto scum elsewhere to play.
Ozymandias
It will be hot property in another 3000 years or so....you just wait for the next reunion...of the orgional Greek olympics..
Brazil taking Notes...?
Empires fall? You got to be shittin' me.
Their debts shall live on...
Good 'ol Goldman Sachs, always there when you need them.
http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/first-reported-case-of-ebola-in-mexico-city/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PlanPrepareSurvive+%28TheSurvivalistBlog.net%29
Only a matter of time now.
Just received this message from Alerts U.S.A.
It was a real close call between pulling the trigger on the 45 against my temple, or turning that Alerts USA video off
Teacher: "Hey kids! Want to have some fun on our vacation to Africa? Let's all take the bus to the only local hospital and interview Ebola patients! "
Kids: "Oh, COOL! Ebola! That sounds like fun!"
With compounding at 5% the original cost of 10 billion is now 20 billion in just 14 years.
Unless they permantly award the Olympics to Greece, I see no way out.
Olympics are fukken money losers.
Bring back Thunderdome with the Zionists and the Neocons.
The only problem is there will be no side to cheer for.
and then your burqua clad mama can service the winner, and actually the loser as well.
The stimulus simply wasn't big enough.
How much of this kind of thing has to happen before the idiot voters stop electing the crooks and thieves that push this kind of waste? The electorate just cannot seem to be able to see the sociopaths before they elect them.
Perhaps we need to raise the voting age to 50 or higher. By that age most people are mature enough to figure out how to tell an honest politician from a liar.
Problem is, it's never going to happen because the crooked politicians know the idiot voters are the young who will usually vote for a socialist (because "they care about people").
Ten Years After People...
“OK, but, I still feel stupid”, said Mei So Wong, the owner/investor of sixteen apartments in a Chinese Ghost City.
I do not understand why countries even bid on this shit.
Either scrap the games or build one olympic site and use it every 4 years.
"Either scrap the games or build one olympic site and use it every 4 years."
bbbut then they who choose the next recipient for the games wouldn't get their payoffs... oops, I mean "they're completely honest and aboveboard".
It's called bribes to local pols. Especially, in the form of GDP-boosting hookers and blow. That's a win-win!
ok then, keep one venue but have a committee choose which country provides the hookers and drugs each time
Keynesians have always been very proficient at misallocating capital...they never see any spending they dont like...
Let us pause and consider this outside of the ghost town narrative.
Now that most of us grasp the reality that our planet's resources need to be used WISELY, why don't we all start to advocate that these global events like the Olympics and FIFA live up to the DURABILITY of the Greek monuments and structures...or even be better than that 2500 year old technology!
How long has it been since the Parthenon was used? Did it rapidly decay? Heck no!
The story really could have focused on the THROW-AWAY CONSUMER CAPITALISM that these images evoke. Nothing was really built to last. No one even cared about that. Enormous projects like the FIFA stadiums in Brazil will, no doubt, go the way of these Olympic venues.
What about your Sochi venues? Yep. They too will fall into decay because no one demanded structures and systems that would last 20 years, much less 2000 years!
Make DURABILITY something we demand for ALL out future undertakings. No more crappy public works projects farmed out to "the lowest bidder". Make quality the first priority and plan for these structures and spaces to be bequeathed to our future generations.
Taxpayers in many states are also on the hook for one or more pro sports stadia forced on them by their legislatures controlled by rich team owners...part of the debt problem.
Greece is a hole - and the Greek government is one of the most corrupt governments in Europe... if not the world. So no suprise...
Those pics look like some place the IMF has been.
Looks like a great place to have some executions....
The OLYMPICS are:
-a showpony
-a waste of time
-not even a good venue for amateurs
-inconvience
-the only winners are bond underwriters like Goldman who fake Greece's books and they get to borrow 8 billion(probably have to pay back a total of 20 billion) and they GET NOTHING OUT OF IT. Zilch.
-Deflation is a bitch
Any city that asks for the Olympics is run by cretins
Looks a little better then Sarajevo olympic site
if these can even continue.. which is questionable in the fubar world we live in, its time for these events, also world cups, etc.. to find permenant homes.
this is tragically pathetic
This and future abominations brought to you in part by the fine sociopaths at "Goldman Sachs of shit".
And the winner is Sydney?
These occult celebration sites are typically left to rot and decay into ruin. It is just indicative of where the whole planet is heading under the direction of the collection of maniacs taking us straight to hell with them.
http://www.vice.com/read/the-crumbling-ruins-of-sarajevos-1984-winter-ol...
Funny how the graffiti in Greece looks alot like Mess-I-can graffiti in LA! Must be some gene that makes people who have no purpose in life other than destroying other's people's proerty write the same style.
So much for the fallacy that these kind of sports events help the economy! I guess it's another Keynesian fallacy.
Is this what was meant by 'legacy'?
Like John Perkins says. It was a rousing success for some people.
Like Mr. X says about Vietnam. It was a rousing success for some people.
It's no wonder why people in Brazil are pissed.
They spend all this cash on a short term event yet drag there feet on public infrustrure and services.
I have "a friend" who lives very near and works out at the fitness center under the main stadium of the site of the '98 Asian Games in Bangkok.
They kept it up pretty well. It is the headquarters of the National Sports Authority.
"The Games cost almost twice their projected budget, with organizers not opting to use any temporary, collapsible venues, as other host cities have done".
You may want to think differently about this.
That third word 'cost' is the flaw in your statement.
The "Cost" of anything, whether it's my pornographic downloads of Kate Upton's nudey photos, or your monthly meds, or the 5 billion dollar stadiums built in various cities for sports teams that the voter loudly rejects when put to a referendum......that "cost" is the Revenue to the web site, the pharmacy, or the contractors who bribe the County officials with part of it and pocket the rest.
To understand what's really going on with the Olympics and other monstrously expensive (or profitable, depending on which side of the Equals sign you are talking about) projects that appear to be Losers, it must first be understood what the real games (as opposed to the Giant Slalom, et al) are being played.
Cui bono. Follow the money. Many people got very very rich on the build up for the Olympics in their city, names you will never ever see. You can find them though on their yachts in Cap Antibes, Tortola, or Miami, planning their next multibillion dollar 'cost' to the taxpayers.
If we built these structures to last two centuries then we could at least feel good that our efforts of the moment would go on to benefit future generations.
I love weeds ..