BeIR/webis-touche2020 huggingface dataset:
The Olympic spirit is a universal message for peace and togetherness

The Olympic Charter talks about the ‘establishment of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity’. Should we just erase this message from the history of humanity? Athletes dedicate the best part of their lives to this ideal, by constantly improving their performance. Individual performance stands here for 'celebration of collective values' - including that of fair competition. Individual athletes represent whole nations - their competing (from the Latin, cum-together and peto-search) actualises transnational togetherness and the search for commonality and global cooperation. In two instances, we can see messages of peace and togetherness. First, in the 1936 games in Berlin, Adolph Hitler notoriously refused to honor the accolades of African-American runner Jesse Owens. While the leader of a military state refused, a German athlete trumped the chancellors negative message with a positive message of peace and togetherness. German Lutz Long offered Owens advice that eventually cost Long the gold medal and propelled Owens to the top. Next, Germany was obviously divided into West and East Germany. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the two came together to compete. This was a significant mark. Although divided in leadership and ideology, two bickering nations can coincide in peace and harmony. Above all, the Olympic spirit is a beacon of hope. Countless times the games have instilled hope and togetherness in many. In a world of growing animosity, it is encouraging to see a sense of peace and togetherness gather every four years.
The institution promotes racism and social exclusion in favour of a good 'public image' for the host

Even non-European cities tend to silence the deeply racist, exclusionist nature of the Olympic project, which supports national narratives of excellence, but leads to exclusion of the poor and socially disadvantaged. Research by the Geneva based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) shows that the effects of the Olympics involve forced evictions and displacements, and discrimination against racial minorities and homeless persons. As pointed out by Tourism Concern, the sole aim of the host city becomes 'the creation of sports stadiums, new hotels, car parks, or pretty façades' for Olympic tourists. In the process of doing so, whole socio-cultural groups may be ‘wiped out’ of the host state’s records. This ‘spatial cleansing’ was performed in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, and is currently under way in Beijing and London (in preparation for 2012). Should we let this continue?the olympics are a complete idiotic waste of public money, it should be a crime!
Commercialisation and its consequences

The original 'spirit' of the Olympics was supposedly that of sporting competition between amateurs, who competed for the honour of doing so, and to test themselves against the best sportspeople from around the world. However, the Olympics has become ever more commercialised, high-jacked by global corporations and turned into a giant advertising hoarding. The kinds of monies and rewards potentially avaliable from excelling on the international stage has served to incentivise not only professionalisation, but also corruption and cheating, not least in the form of doping. Whatever the idealistic intentions apparent in the modern Olympics at its birth, it is now little more than an exercise in global capitalist marketing and a means for competitors to develop their celebrity profiles, which are then cashed-in for lucrative advertising and product endorsements. The professed aspirations of the Olympic movement and the grubby reality of the contemporary Olympics are now utterly opposed...
The host city becomes an international hotspot for business investment, develops a new 'creative industry' and encourages new practices of cultural consumption

Contractors in the new Olympic sites partake in the abuse of social rights: these grand Olympic employers are notorious for their tendency to 'hide under the carpet' the exploitation of contractual workers and the endangerment of human lives. A BBC radio programme revealed in 2003-4 that Olympic construction sites in Greece had very poor safety standards. The official number of work-related deaths was 14 - though it is rumoured that they were in fact as high as 40. The general secretary of the Greek Construction Workers' Union explained that those who complained about the poor working conditions and the absence of health and safety rules were likely to be sacked. This is just an example of what generally happens in Olympic villages 'under construction': they offer temporary work - and who else would be forced to take them up if not the poor and the migrants? Olympic tourism simply extends this vicious circle, whereby socio-culturally excluded groups, seeking a way out of poverty, are attracted by job opportunities related to the Games, only to be pushed thus further down the social ladder. For example, experience has shown that the trafficking, exploitation and physical abuse of sex workers (to cater for the visitors' demands) intensifies before and during the Games. The host city/country will not do much to regulate the booming sex industry for obvious (profit-making) reasons. There is no doubt that sex workers have to be recognised as legitimate workers, professionals like anyone else - but this has to be done by citizens and authorities alike in an organised, just manner. The emergent creative industries of the Games can become communicators of nationalist symbols and rituals that endorse one-dimensional visions of the world. The messages of creative industries can easily erase social and ethnic difference, or glorify it: for example, marginal identities within the nation-state may figure in the televised opening and closing ceremonies as picturesque exhibits for the 'tourist gaze', rather than cultural forms habitually rejected in everyday national life. Let us not focus exclusively on Olympic products (mascots and other paraphernalia): who actually sells them 'on location', if not temporary workers? Who stands at the reception desk of your hotel, if not the middle-aged man who tries to top-up his pension? Who cleans your room, if not the migrant woman with the deepening wrinkles and the tired smile? This is the type of business the Olympics support. If you ever visit a country during the Games, take a long and hard look around you to see who does what in terms of provision of tourist services: it will, most likely, ruin your holidays for good.
It is a vital institution for the maintenance of a transnational athletic community

It certainly brings together national teams - but only to facilitate competition! To place the right emphasis, it ONLY brings together NATIONAL teams, turning athletic competition into a form of state-sponsored competition. Athletes are not treated as individuals, but representatives of a national culture. Not all Olympic athletes are ready to congratulate their 'peers' when they lose - and accusations of playing 'unfair games' are not unheard of in these cases.
It sanctions and encourages 'Islamophobic' panics and promotes the excessive 'securitisation' of the globe

The idea that we live in an insecure world is not unreasonable. If we are to treat globalisation in terms of an increasing connectivity in economic and cultural life across the world, we also have to view the ideas and realities of 'risk' as an issue that concerns humanity as a whole. Think about Chernobyl, whose consequences reached every corner of the planet - and then attempt comparisons with the 9/11 events: its victims were not differentiated in terms of country of origins, ethnicity, race, class or gender - they were just victims. And they are all dead or maimed. The very attack upon the symbols of American power par excellence (the Twin Towers) was enabled by the existence of global infrastructures (transport and communication systems); its symbolic impact (both as an exposure of American vulnerability and a reminder that none is safe, after, all) around the world were also amplified for the same reasons. Tragedy knows no racial, social or political boundaries. To argue for an 'independent state response' to security threats of the 9/11 magnitude, especially in the context of the Olympic Games where so many lives are at stake at any given moment, is rather absurd - not least because these threats are real for all of us, irrespective of power positioning. Global cultural and economic connectivities have produced economic and political interdependencies. The need for political interconnectedness, the fostering of transnational solidarities - a united response to global threats (including that of terrorism) in short - are immediate needs. Perhaps NATO is not an answer to the fear of a new 'Olympic' tragedy, but we do need to encourage transnational security collaboration to counter the threats posed by a minority of terrorists.
Dosen't promote standing out from the crowd, and doing other things; that may be more important to humanity than sport.

As I'am going though school in year 10 at the time of the 2012 olympics living in England; I have been made to believe that all these people that are in the olympics or people my age who play sports more frequently are better, and more loved than that of people that do the sciences and the arts. I denfintly more than often have been met by repulsive tennages that have givin a well over average amount of confidence which has been supplied by sports teachers that don't know when to stop. If we then endup with 72% of boys in a class having the upper hand in confidence, making in fun,making jokes, making their life unbearable; to a dramatic point where they ask themselves- is the one thing making them diffrent making them inferior. When we make toys about people beating other peop in brutal in sports like football or other contact sports, what are we really sparking inside the fabric of the education of young people: and are these people really more important, just of they kicked a ball into a net.
Corruption is a condition of developing states, and should be seen as a childhood disease. Western ...

Corruption is a condition of developing states, and should be seen as a childhood disease. Western countries themselves were once the most corrupted societies of the world. Not only is corruption endemic in under-developed nations, it is also an evolutionary level that precedes development and industrialisation. Corruption is a side effect of emerging capitalism and a free market. Underdeveloped countries cannot combat corruption without having achieved the level of economic development necessary to fight it.
In many countries corruption can be seen as a natural response to shortages. Often in developing co...

In many countries corruption can be seen as a natural response to shortages. Often in developing countries the demand for a service such as access to the courts, education, healthcare, or the attention of civil servants and politicians far outstrips the ability of public officials to cope. To prevent the system from grinding to a complete halt, a way of rationing has to be found and corruption provides such a system. In effect it places a price upon a service and enables officials to prioritise and go at least some way towards dealing with all the demands upon their time and resources.
Corruption is not a problem in its own right, but rather a symptom of wider problems of governance i...

Corruption is not a problem in its own right, but rather a symptom of wider problems of governance in some states. Misguided socialist principles have left many developing countries (and some developed ones) with complex and burdensome tangles of rules and regulations administered by huge state machines. Often there is a lack of property rights, meaning the poor are not safe in the possession of the land they farm, and cannot borrow money against it in order to invest for the future. The poor pay of public officials is also common. These problems make ordinary people highly dependent upon the actions of individual officials and give the officials every incentive to exploit their power. Crackdowns on corruption will achieve nothing until these underlying problems are addressed first.
Corruption is a Western concept and is not applicable to traditional societies, where corruption doe...

The very idea of corruption is unethical, regardless of one’s tradition. Cultural relativism is just an attempt to legitimise corruption by the corrupted. Not enough evidence has been presented to support the suggestion that corruption is required by certain socio-cultural practices. Moreover, regarding corruption as an innate quality of human culture undermines the hope for any improvement and is inherently fatalistic, serving as an excuse for creating cultures of corruption and fear.
In many countries corruption can be seen as a natural response to shortages. Often in developing co...

Corruption may be a response to supply and demand, but it is still not beneficial. By rationing goods which should be freely available to the whole population, such as healthcare, justice and fair treatment from those in authority, corruption ensures that these public goods are available only to the rich. Where corruption is widespread, the poor always lose out and society becomes ever more divided. \ It is also bad for society as a whole when corruption provides incentives for bright young people to get jobs as unproductive public officials, because of the financial rewards available for “rent-seekers”. The private sector, already struggling from the added costs of corruption, suffers even more by its inability to recruit the brightest and most ambitious young people, and levels of entrepreneurship and economic growth suffer as a result.
Corruption is not a problem in its own right, but rather a symptom of wider problems of governance i...

Corruption is very bad for democracy as it can lead to the capture of the state by special interests. In corrupt societies even free and fair election results count for little. Once in power politicians of all parties are likely to concentrate on enriching themselves, taking money from individuals and companies in order to promote their own interests rather than those of their voters or the country as a whole. Sometimes politicians can be bought outright, as when they are persuaded to change political party for financial reward. To avoid accountability to the electorate, such corrupt politicians then have an incentive to corrupt elections, by bribing the electorate with their own money and/or plotting to make the electoral process unfair. Not only is this unjust, it also creates contempt for democracy and makes military coups and other forms of dictatorship more attractive to many people. Finally, it is economically disastrous as it gives those in power the incentive and ability to continually create new laws and regulations which they can then exploit in order to extract bribes.
Does not encourage activity, social life, and is distracting.

When it boils down to the points of activity, social life, and is distracting, we must observe several things; 1: Kids will be sitting as much in regular class as during online schools. Peninsula Press posted in an article called "High school students sit for too long, new health research suggests." Within this article it is quoted that “In a traditional class, the teacher stands and talks, and the kids sit,” Josh Maisel said. “But a lot of us know that that’s not good teaching." Expanding on this, the article provides a Stanford University study showing the affects of sitting to long, including diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Online school is task based oriented, for example "read four chapters in two days." Rather than everything being then and there, online education encourages students to not only finish work but also encourage work in other means such as play because it is task based oriented. 2: The fact of the matter is that the world is slowly changing to lives on computers. Life we know could not exist without computers. For example, in the industry of Drafting and Design, the complex building would be impossible difficult and extremely time consuming. Auto-CAD is a type of design program manufacturer and without their innovations in design, a skyscraper would not take a month to design but perhaps many years. Helium posted in an article called "Are computers necessary in today's society?" that in society today that computers are necessary for their many uses such as instant access to information and uses of social interaction. Without online education, the transition into the computer world we're slowly becoming would be very difficult. 3: The fact of distracting students is not nearly as tempting as in regular social environments. The urge to talk to friends, draw, sleep or day-dream is not nearly as strong as the urge to use the internet. Not only is internet limited within schools, but internet access is prohibited. For example, in my Algebra II class on FL-VS (Florida Virtual School), I am monitored not only by administrators working close by, but also by my teacher. If I use inappropriate access, I would either be stopped or swayed back into work. Furthermore, as I stated in #1, online education is task based oriented, allowing students to work and play at different times, encouraging working and playing at separate times. 4: The comment made that "no hiring teachers" is extremely false. All the time I am personally emailed by my FL-VS teacher. Secondly, if a person is taking a physical education class, they are required to either receive calls from the teacher to their parents or Face Time the teacher during exercise. And Lastly, the student to teacher ratio is closer to 8:1 or 10:1 rather than the common 25:1 or upwards of 45:1 in some large class experiences. In fact, because the ratio is better, the education quality of the students is significantly better, furthering education. So as you can see, their is every reason to vote in Affirmation while none remaining to vote in negation. -VotedForMcCain
Does not encourage activity, social life, and is distracting.

Yes, online education can be beneficial, but at school you actually move around, whereas on a computer, you sit and do nothing. With obesity on the rise in America, we should be pushing for more healthy things. Also, it doesn't encourage a social life. It can also be very distracting because it's the internet. Sure, no bullying, no hiring teachers, etc. but a face to face education is extremely important. The issue at hand would be the complete segregation of a child from their peers, sure the bullying would stop, but would a child who sits potentially in the house all day have the appropriate skills for the wider working world in adult life? Probably not... If you wanted to grow a generation of WOW style MMO gamers this might well be your option, but without face to face interaction with teachers and other children the social skills of the children would quickly become very self-centered.. and distant compared to face to face interaction.
2. A mature adult is capable of choosing a great online school.

I realize I've added a caveat, in that a MATURE adult is capable of choosing a great online school. My husband is a case in point. He is obtaining a Master's degree online, from an accredited university, and has only to complete his thesis before graduating from the program. Certainly there are bogus programs out there, but the fault does not lie in whether or not a particular online program may be bogus. There are many things on the internet that may do more harm than good, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the person using the internet. If that person is underage, then the responsibilty lies with the parents or guardians of the underage person. As in the case of my husband, it is up to the user of a particular online education program to thoroughly investigate any online education program. It would also help if people would report programs to the authorities that are bogus and may have damaged them in some way. But to do away with all online education programs would do a great disservice to people like my husband. Mature, adult perople are capable of taking in information, investigating it, then making choices about whether or not the information is true or valid, and following through with a mature, informed decision. This applies to any site we may visit on the internet, not just online education sites.
People are being kept in unbearable poverty by immigration laws that bar them from pursuing work in ...

People are being kept in unbearable poverty by immigration laws that bar them from pursuing work in the countries where it is available. Their situation is often worse than that of people who are classed as genuine refugees. By allowing them to work in rich countries we improve not only their situation but via remittances that of their family and home country. Think of the economies of the Philippines and the West Indies.
People are already entering Britain for work illegally in enormous (but obviously unknown) numbers. ...

People are already entering Britain for work illegally in enormous (but obviously unknown) numbers. This brings with it dangers that can be stopped by legalisation. Illegal immigrants are exploited by employers who don’t follow regulations on pay or conditions. They pay no tax. They often become involved in prostitution or crime because they are marginalised. The smuggling of immigrants into rich countries allows them to be exploited by the gangs who do it and there have been a number of casualties in the process. Regulation is vital and only legalisation allows it.
Rich countries that have boomed in the 90’s are short of both skilled and unskilled workers who are ...

Rich countries that have boomed in the 90’s are short of both skilled and unskilled workers who are kept out by stringent immigration law. In London there are unfilled places for skilled workers in 70% of companies and finding people willing to perform basic manual jobs is increasingly difficult. Merrill-Lynch’s attempt to recruit Russian workers was stymied by red tape in Britain. No economy can grow when there are no workers to keep up with demand. Immigration makes the whole economy bigger and everyone richer in the long term.
Immigrants are generally seen to be extremely keen to work and work hard in their new country. The d...

Immigrants are generally seen to be extremely keen to work and work hard in their new country. The drive to emigrate is a drive from a wish to do well and tends to translate itself into achievement. Also emigrants rarely come from countries with a welfare culture so there is little use of welfare unless we make it structurally impossible for them to work. The achievement of Jews in Britain and America following the Second World War and the social mobility of the Chinese in the USA stand as proof of this.
People are being kept in unbearable poverty by immigration laws that bar them from pursuing work in ...

We should attempt to improve the situation in poor countries rather than just allowing anyone with the drive to leave. This proposal will cause a brain drain of talent from the countries that most need it in order to build up their own economies condemning them to permanent underdevelopment. It will take away working age people from countries who already lack them because of AIDS and high birth rates. Further, it will distract from our real aim which must be to build up the economies of poor countries through training and investment.
People are already entering Britain for work illegally in enormous (but obviously unknown) numbers. ...

Far more people will be exploited if we allow total immigration. The desperately poor often invest all their money in a one way ticket and are therefore trapped with no means of bargaining. Their willingness to accept below minimum wage will undercut the whole system and impoverish Western workers. Foreign workers are often unaware of their rights and the regulations about their work whether they are legal or illegal immigrants. These are the grounds on which the Trades Unions movement explicitly opposes this case.