America should parlay its olympic excellence

First appeared on August 10th, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

Ours is the most politically fractured, culturally inept and obese nation on Earth. And yet once every four years we find a way to pull it together and kick the rest of the world in the pants during the Summer Olympics. And London’s 2012 Games are shaping up to be no different.

We lead this summer’s overall medal count with 90 total; including 39 Gold. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team brought gold home after avenging a World Cup loss to Japan and our ladies Water Polo team kept their heads above water long enough to secure their first ever gold medal. It was an American versus American final in Women’s Beach Volleyball which of course saw us win gold as the team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings won their third straight (which came after having never lost a match in Olympic play).

This is of course all the more reason for the world to hate us. They hate us for Iraq and our two car garages, for pounding Nigeria 156-73 and for making every single major contribution to the world of technology in the last 100 years. They hate us for being a place where chasing ones dreams is encouraged and for boasting a selection of more than 1 television channel.

Ours is a nation full of fast food jockeys, dissatisfied office workers and professional politicians mixed with a handful of ambitious young athletes willing to dedicate themselves to becoming the best at what they do. Forget Democrats and Republicans, why not channel the energy and gusto of this last group into diplomacy? It only seems fitting that we should find a way to use our Olympic dominance to heal this begrimed view the world holds of us.

If Gabby Douglas were deployed as Special Envoy to Pyongyang then perhaps she could bring an end to the stalemate that has existed there since the 1950’s. If the Flying Squirrel tumbled her way onto the Korean Peninsula then simply flashing her gold medal and million dollar smile would be enough to bridge any differences lingering between South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and whatever number Kim Jung the North Koreans are worshipping these days.

If Michael Phelps could swim to South Sudan (with a naval escort to protect him from Somali Pirates of course) then perhaps he could help combat the level of uncertainty that fledgling nation faces. Because it’s such a long road ahead for the world’s newest country they could use the services of a crafty champion who has stared down the improbable only to succeed. The 18 gold medals Phelps has racked up alone would be enough to both back an entire nation’s currency and make South Sudan the richest African nation overnight.

So wave your flag with pride and keep your Kleenexes at the ready. For you may need them the next time you hear somebody out there doesn’t like us, or perhaps when you find another American teenager atop the podium with the Star Spangled Banner showering down upon them. That magical instant you can read in their eyes. How for the first time in their life they fully understand what it means to be an American.

That as ugly, tragic and amazing as our history can be, we remain the most powerful nation on Earth. And while ours may not be the blueprint for diplomacy every nation wants to follow, nothing can shatter an American’s pride. Perhaps that’s where the hatred comes from; for over 200 years and counting we’ve been the rabbit the rest of the world hasn’t been able to catch.


© 2012 Eric Walker Williams