[lukas1051]

What a ridiculous hyperbolic load of old tosh, can't say I expected any less from the DM. In any healthcare system there will be mistakes made, you cannot focus solely on one case. How insulting. The NHS has saved the lives of so many people I know, all people who would otherwise not be able to afford the healthcare, without the NHS I wouldn't have my grandma, my grandad, my auntie, my cousin... it's very sad what happened to that boy, but think of how many others would suffer the same fate under a system that only provides healthcare to people of a certain wealth.

[Isometrix]

You are dismissing one of the largest organisations (by number of employers) in the world because of the negligence of a few staff in a ward, in one hospital? You have no idea how stressful the job can be to some staff working in hospitals, there's always bound to be tragic mishaps. I agree there are holes in the NHS, but believe me it's one of the best healthcare systems in the world and personally I think they were due a tribute in the Olympics.

[cgraham15]

One bad example.
You don't know how lucky you are. Free health care! I've read stories of people in America committing suicide after having car crashes as the health bills they would have to pay would end up with them living on he streets.

This is like saying all dogs should be put down just because one dog attacked a man on a street.

[Roving Fish]

I think I found the whole error here...

You're reading the Daily Mail

[AlmostChicGeek]

There will be mistakes made by the NHS. The NHS saved my life, and also managed to royally mess me around with regards to treatment, going so far as to lie about their mistakes rather than rectify them.

It isn't perfect all of the time, but more often than not it does it's job correctly, and that is why it was honoured in the opening ceremony. Believe me, I do not have rose coloured glasses when it comes to the NHS, but I know that it is trying it's best and we are very lucky to have it.

[T-Toe]

They should have emphasised more of our previous culture and milked the British Arts. All that modern techno crap dragged on for too long. The fact that Dizzee Rascal was on stage for a good 10 minutes highlights obscure lack of musical talent we left. Who the **** said that mixed girl is the best looking girl in the world?! I suppose once you're known, you're automatically put on a high pedestal. We're known for producing fantastic bands, we should have thrown load of bands in. The only thing Britain is known for nowadays is its monarchy. Our cultural identity is in decline. We're far too Americanised nowadays. Our two main Olympic sponsors are multi-billion American capitalist corporations for god sake.

Accept defeat Britons. Beijing weren't desperate to prove anything to anyone. They created formal art for a formal event. I hope the closing ceremony is better.

[Cheese_Monster]

The NHS is the crowning achievement in the last century for a compassionate nation that values healthcare as a right, not a commodity. And it was rightly cherished by Danny Boyle, he did a good job I think.

[Shomberlon]

Anyone who has issues with the NHS should get themselves health insurance and never use anything funded by the NHS


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Ano1]

(Original post by T-Toe)
They should have emphasised more of our previous culture and milked the British Arts. All that modern techno crap dragged on for too long. The fact that Dizzee Rascal was on stage for a good 10 minutes highlights obscure lack of musical talent we left. Who the **** said that mixed girl is the best looking girl in the world?! I suppose once you're known, you're automatically put on a high pedestal. We're known for producing fantastic bands we should have thrown load of bands in. The only thing Britain is known for nowadays is it's monarchy. Our cultural identity is decline. We're far too Americanised nowadays. Our two main Olympic sponsors are multi-billion American capitalist corporations for god sake.

Accept defeat Britons. Beijing weren't desperate to prove anything to anyone. They created formal art for a formal event. I hope the closing ceremony is better.

[Mister Dead]

(Original post by T-Toe)
They should have emphasised more of our previous culture and milked the British Arts. All that modern techno crap dragged on for too long. The fact that Dizzee Rascal was on stage for a good 10 minutes highlights obscure lack of musical talent we left. Who the **** said that mixed girl is the best looking girl in the world?! I suppose once you're known, you're automatically put on a high pedestal. We're known for producing fantastic bands we should have thrown load of bands in. The only thing Britain is known for nowadays is it's monarchy. Our cultural identity is decline. We're far too Americanised nowadays. Our two main Olympic sponsors are multi-billion American capitalist corporations for god sake.

Accept defeat Britons. Beijing weren't desperate to prove anything to anyone. They created formal art for a formal event. I hope the closing ceremony is better.

did your avatar give you rabies?

[The Mr Z]

(Original post by T-Toe)
They should have emphasised more of our previous culture and milked the British Arts. All that modern techno crap dragged on for too long. The fact that Dizzee Rascal was on stage for a good 10 minutes highlights obscure lack of musical talent we left. Who the **** said that mixed girl is the best looking girl in the world?! I suppose once you're known, you're automatically put on a high pedestal. We're known for producing fantastic bands we should have thrown load of bands in. The only thing Britain is known for nowadays is it's monarchy. Our cultural identity is decline. We're far too Americanised nowadays. Our two main Olympic sponsors are multi-billion American capitalist corporations for god sake.

Accept defeat Britons. Beijing weren't desperate to prove anything to anyone. They created formal art for a formal event. I hope the closing ceremony is better.

This actually needs replying to!

Dizzia Rascal was chosen because he is local, and he has done a huge amount of work promoting the Olympics to the locals in East London. (Who, unlike the rest of the world, have had to put up with the construction work and preparations for years)

We weren't missing our bands - we had the Beatles and Queen and Rolling stones in there. Not live performances, but then most of the members of those bands are...dead. Every single piece of music played was British.

The IOC sponsers have permanent sponsorship deals, they sponsor EVERY Olympics. They sponsored Beijing and Sydney, they will sponsor Brazil. No one accused any of them of being "culturally subjected" to America.

Talking of - it was very much evidence that we have our very own distinct culture to America's. Go look at the reactions of the American press - they were baffled, it was like nothing they've ever seen. It pointed out every way we're nothing like America. If anything it just demonstrates how strong out culture is, that so much of what you consider American culture is actually British in origin. Britain isn't Americanised, America is Anglicised.

Beijing weren't desperate to prove anything to anyone.

You serious? They couldn't have been trying any harder to make a political statement, both to their own people and to the west.

Their ceremony was nothing but a show of strength. It was a giant ego-tripping "We can do it bigger and better than you", it was designed entirely around shock, awe and military discipline (the whole thing was done like a military parade)

[Harry Callahan]

(Original post by green.tea)
He mustve wanted to be there. Just because someone has parkinsons doesnt mean they cant be there. Perhaps he wanted to say goodbye.

How would anyone know whether he wanted to be there? Speech is affected as well, you know.

[green.tea]

(Original post by Harry Callahan)
How would anyone know whether he wanted to be there? Speech is affected as well, you know.

Bit of a silly comment. As tho someone with speech problems cant find a way of communicating yes/no. The americans recognised him at their olympics and now we did too. He's as recognised and respected here just as much as in the states for both his achievements and for his letting us know where he stood in relation to the competition just in case we didnt realise. Without doubt the greatest boxer and greatest, most instantly recognisable personality in sport.

[ForKicks]

Did anyone else think the image of 'modern Britain' was a bit too forced and unrepresentative? I started off proud and then it was more, 'why so much emphasis on this'? It was a fantastic start though but the digital age wasn't great. Maybe they ran out of budget halfway?

[TheHansa]

I liked it, China's was this huge awesome spectacle and we don't have the man power to go one up on them that way, so doing a classic Britian, we approached the whole thing from a different angle. Beckham at the end was hilarious, on 'is speedboat.

People might ask why non-whites were so overrepresented, but it was volunteers, so you could equally ask why didn't more white people volunteer?

[Podcaster]

(Original post by mangoh)
What about her?

=_=

[FreeHat]

(Original post by TheHansa)
People might ask why non-whites were so overrepresented, but it was volunteers, so you could equally ask why didn't more white people volunteer?

There was an over-abundance of volunteers; they were selected. And the volunteers constituted only a small proportion of all performers, or did the Choir and professional dancers volunteer too?

[James A]

I was travelling from Bexleyheath to North London via the blackwall tunnel, and after (the car i was in) headed out of the tunnel, 10 minutes down the road you can see the olympic stadium!! It does look incredible, I'm still annoyed that I couldn't volunteer for the olympics because i had to be 18 by a certain age, but just missed the cut off point

[T-Toe]

(Original post by The Mr Z)
This actually needs replying to!

Dizzia Rascal was chosen because he is local, and he has done a huge amount of work promoting the Olympics to the locals in East London. (Who, unlike the rest of the world, have had to put up with the construction work and preparations for years)

We weren't missing our bands - we had the Beatles and Queen and Rolling stones in there. Not live performances, but then most of the members of those bands are...dead. Every single piece of music played was British.

The IOC sponsers have permanent sponsorship deals, they sponsor EVERY Olympics. They sponsored Beijing and Sydney, they will sponsor Brazil. No one accused any of them of being "culturally subjected" to America.

Talking of - it was very much evidence that we have our very own distinct culture to America's. Go look at the reactions of the American press - they were baffled, it was like nothing they've ever seen. It pointed out every way we're nothing like America. If anything it just demonstrates how strong out culture is, that so much of what you consider American culture is actually British in origin. Britain isn't Americanised, America is Anglicised.



You serious? They couldn't have been trying any harder to make a political statement, both to their own people and to the west.

Their ceremony was nothing but a show of strength. It was a giant ego-tripping "We can do it bigger and better than you", it was designed entirely around shock, awe and military discipline (the whole thing was done like a military parade)

Fair point with the sponsorship deal but the UK is still very americanised. That digital age dripple went on for far too long. So what if they're dead, get holograms.
That's the whole point of an opening ceremony. Bigger and better not a random mesh of culture.

[The_Great_One]

The uk isn't americanised have u ever been to new York or Vegas. London was like that way before the Americans were. We're comfortable in our own skin and the Americans didn't understand it and British humour and overall philosophy is completely different to Americas.