National anthems

In the next few weeks we will be having the Olympic Games in London. I shall not be watching any of it for a variety of reasons - the principle one being lack of interest.

This also means missing the various national TV companies wherever I may be getting unduly excited about one of their country's competitors winning summat. And this nonsense where they present the medals. Followed by the flag raising and the national anthems.

As an internationalist I am perfectly prepared to see anyone honoured for their significant prowess, the (what strikes me as) petty nationalism involved with the rest I do not need.

Of course during the recent European football (North American = soccer) championships, you used to get the national anthems before the games. Anyone watching should know the Spanish one by now, there has been plenty of it played at the last three international football championships. Classy team, great players. I hope that the people in Spain being crushed by the bank bailouts at the moment soon have more to celebrate in their daily lives!

Move on. From my days watching sport over the years I have got to know the tunes of many national anthems (back in the 1980s when I did watch a lot of track and field events, and maybe the odd race in the Olympics I got to know the old East German one extremely well. Not sure whether the word "steroids" was somewhere in the lyrics. Without the presence of steroids, that anthem would have been played far less often!).

There are some tales, often sad sometimes very amusing, where national anthems are concerned. When I lived in the Netherlands back in the 1990s, I can recall some leading athletes being asked if they knew the words to their anthem  for example. Some seemed none too certain.

Then there are the mixture of videos on YouTube of various Americans forgetting the words in mid-stream - some personalities who should know better, and some quite young people who are overcome by the stress of the occasion.

Then there are the ones with history. Germany may still have the same tune that it has had for a long time, but the first (very nationalistic) verse has been dropped since 1945 - advisably!  Russia meanwhile tried dropping that of the former Soviet Union and replacing it. This having gone down like a hot brick, back came the old Soviet anthem, while Putin & Co try at the same time to emphasis that Communism is indeed dead (correct - check out the current replacement built very firmly on the 1%, 99% principle applying elsewhere! Some day someone will work out a system where more than just the mega-rich can have a decent debt-free lifestyle!).

Then there is the UK. Ask the interesting question. Assume that you a staunch patriot (ah well, some people sadly are!). Assume at the same time that you are (like the wiser 15-20% of the population of the UK, if I still lived there that would include me)  an atheist, and also (like the wiser 15-20% of the population of the UK, if I still lived there that would include me!) believe that the monarchy should be abolished and replaced by a democratic republic (see the USA, Germany, France) - what do you make of an anthem with the opening words "God save the Queen"? May the non-existent deity save the soon to be departed monarch? But I am pleased that we won something!

Interesting thought.

Final word. Anyone who is going to get intoxicated with the Olympic spirit in the next few weeks should have the opportunity to learn the tune to the Chinese national anthem. You will get plenty of chances to hear it! Another area where they are taking over, though this at least will be down to something more resembling fair competition!