Rowan comments

"Is the new movie any good? Who cares?"

What kind of people would mark down the above two comments?!

@theResident

London 2012 was the best.

I know some of you aren't watching but a 13 year-old just earned Japan's 6th Gold.

A 13 year-old!

@Michael O’ Dereiter

Why is it 36% down?

@Michael O’ Dereiter

What is interesting to you about this figure?

@blue

I've put a poll up there. The most current I'm aware of. Make of it what you want.

You've replied with an editorial position from January and a poll from last week that suggests 45% of people were not against the Olympics even prior to it going as well as it currently is.

Just in case you didn't see the Nikkei Poll today -

Holding with no spectators is appropriate: 37%

Should have held with spectators: 28%

Should have postponed or canceled: 31%

A majority of Japanese want the Games to be happening

@O'Brien

I've been saying it would go this way for months.

I have an intense confidence driven by data and experience.

You make the note. I'll be off enjoying the Olympics.

It's so good to see the openly public Olympic love.

The naysayers will find their pompous self-righteousness will start to balance out with an increasing sense of embarrassment.

They're deluded.

It's good to see these kind of voices diminishing and Olympic support growing.

The 'may or may not' line used in the headline is disingenuous giving a sense that SoraNews has an agenda to imply the Olympic will not be a success.

The same as with most Olympic venues, the hosts are disgruntled up until the opening ceremony and then they understand the privilege. With no tourists it's not a surprise the shop has gone.

Bob-san,

To be clear, if there is a procedure to follow you can bet an Athlete that has committed everything over many years if not their entire lifetimes to participate in the games will follow it so I see no concern there. Already countries don't compete across all events so I'm not sure what you mean by fair anyhow.

Tourists too may also see attendance as a once in a lifetime thing so should do what they can but those guys I can take or leave.

So you want only people living in Japan to ‘indulge’ in the Olympics or do you want North and South America coming here too?

If their Athletes and Citizens follow a set procedure (which may include them not coming at all) then I'm fine with that.

Around 0.008% of the Tokyo population are getting the virus each day and that is currently going down. Nationally there's less than 6000 deaths in total. Even if you multiply those numbers by 100 it's a relative success.

People should be happy to live here and get the opportunity to indulge in such delights as the upcoming Olympics. Feel grateful we are not in North or South America.

I was lucky enough to be in London for 2012 and there was the same misguided pessimism prior to the games that have naturally been compounded here by fears of Covid. That period ended up being such a joyous celebration of London, England and of human endeavor. As a physical and televisual spectacle I couldn't cite any other event that gave Londoners and the British a chance to celebrate their past and have hope for the future (Brexit discussions in another forum please.....) This is without mentioning the excitement and inspiration provided by the competition itself at an unmatched global scale.

Thousands of major sporting events have happened in countries that have completely messed up their Covid responses but here the people of Japan have dealt with the virus extremely well, how or why is still difficult to understand but they have and the fact that there's a possibility of the games is a testament to that. It is very easy to succumb to defeat from the outside especially when you don't acknowledge or understand what is lost if the games do not happen. I personally think the world needs this victory and when it is a success you can perhaps admit that maybe in hindsight you were wrong just as I would if for some unknown reason it all got out of hand.

Feel free to enlighten me - https://twitter.com/blue_meany20