The greatest Olympics ever

The Beijing Olympics was by far the best Olympics and the most memorable. Now stop for a second before you regurgitate the list of crimes you read or heard mentioned by some media pundit or a blog you stumble upon while looking for the latest sins China has committed.

Instead if at all possible, let's assume for a moment that the Olympics was just a sporting event. No politics, no bitter blood between nations, just good old sports and competition. Now if you looked at the Beijing Olympics through these eyes, you will notice a couple of things. First, this was by far the most well orchestrated Olympic event the world has ever seen - and one of the greenest Olympics in history. The athletes were amazing; Phelps, Bolt, Wanjiru and Bindra just to name a few making history.

We got to see sporting events that we never knew were actual sports to begin with. The opening and closing ceremony set a standard that won't be rivalled any time soon. We saw the great work and skill the athletes put into their craft. We laughed and cheered for them even though we couldn't locate wherever the hell their country was on the map. In short we were as one together enjoying a great sporting event kinda like the Superbowl only in China and with the whole world in it (well most of it anyway).

This is a hard sell because you remind yourself about the politics of this event and you get angry and mad and frustrated as to how we could praise China for this event instead of focusing on all the things it has done wrong in the world. You remind yourself about the Tibetans and Darfur and you get angry that the world supported this event in China.

So let's do politics.

Well for starters, this was the first time in a long time - and in some cases ever - two nations that are sworn enemies came together, hugged and "played" together on one stage. We saw the flags of Iran, Israel, Iraq, Russia and the US flown side by side. We saw the athletes of Russia and Georgia hug each other while their countries were at war. We saw an American talking with an Iranian and an Israeli hugging a Palestinian together on one stage.

We saw for the first time in a long time what the world could become; what people could achieve if they worked towards the same goal and dreams. We saw what a true 'united nations' really looks like.

Don't get me wrong. China is not without fault. But by focusing on the negatives of the Olympics alone, we close our eyes to the momentous achievements that took place there.

Lastly we should've used the Olympics to learn and understand the world's cultures and the different peoples that make up humanity. The atrocities that China has committed aren't to be excused but the Olympics should be the last place these topics should be brought up - mainly because no one listens to them, but also because this is the only time in our lives that the world is truly united.

Real change to atrocities committed in Darfur and across the world will come to light when the whole world is held accountable for their part in the world's ills ... not just one country because it's politically expedient. I say keep politics where politics should be and leave the Olympics to be a symbol of hope and an awesome sporting event.

I wonder if people will have the same public outcry in London 2012 about the UK's atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Probably not. It's only fun when it's not us.