"We have become a Nazi monster in the eyes of the whole world, a nation of bullies and bastards who would rather kill than live peacefully. We are not just whores for power and oil, but killer whores with hate and fear in our hearts. We are human scum, and that is how history will judge us.. no redeeming social value. Just whores. Get out of our way, or we'll kill you. Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads?

Who among us can be happy and proud of having this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid rich kids like George Bush? They are the same ones who wanted to have Muhammad Ali locked up for refusing to kill "gooks"; they speak for all that is cruel and stupid and vicious in the American character"

- Hunter S Thompson, on contemporary America

As I type, the IOC's evaluation committee is in London, evaluating our capital city as a candidate to host the 2012 Olympic Games. A fair amount of time, effort, and money has been spent in plugging London as a suitable venue; London's buses carry the London 2012 bid logo, Blair and several of his ministers have given speeches on the subject. It's argued that a London Olympics would be a significant shot in the arm for the UK economy, creating significant business for British companies with opportunities for construction, tourism, merchandise, catering, design and IT.

Personally, I sincerely hope the London bid fails.

In 1997, our government, in a rather seedy and typical show of populism, decided to capitalise on the Dunblane tragedy to win a few votes by making unlawful the ownership of pistol firearms of any kind. In doing so, it utterly destroyed an important Olympic sport - target pistol-shooting - as a viable concern in this country. In the United Kingdom, it is illegal even to be in possession of a target pistol, let alone to fire one at a paper target.

So, if the Olympic Games are hosted in this country, will foreign competitors be asked to leave their pistols at home? Oh no! Our government's popularity is much more important to it than its principles, so with characteristic, loathsome hypocrisy, it will waive the rules for a few weeks - so that pistol-shooting competitors from all countries will be welcome to bring their pistols and engage in an activity which would normally attract a prison sentence for a British citizen, a sport in which it has done its best to ensure that we have not the remotest possibility of medal success ourselves.


The London Olympics? You're avin' a larf, mate. While the present draconian firearms legislation remains in effect, the United Kingdom is simply unfit to host the Olympic Games.  I hope that the Paris bid wins; the French deserve a reward for their commendable opposition to American aggression in the Middle East in recent years, they have actively highlighted the absurd situation in the UK with respect to Olympic pistol shooting as part of their bid campaign, and they haven't hosted an Olympic Games since 1924.