Is sport event that important to a country?

Question

I am a student in China.

Some people think that the government shouldn't spend a lot of money on big, expensive sports facilities because there are more pressing needs in society. What do you think?

Chinese government spent $40 billion on 2008 Olympic
Maybe this even will bring huge wealth to China
BUT I really think that all the money should spent on something more important (such as food security,human rights,air pollution ...)

Answer 1

In the total meaning of life, no, sports are not that important to any country or person.
It is like asking if art or music is important.
People have different values depending on their needs.
If you are hungry and don't have a roof over your head then those things are most important to you at that time.

Once your basic needs are met then you try to improve other parts of your life.

How a government sets its hierarchy depends on many things.
A government can never meet the needs of all of its people, there will never be an end to poverty or hunger or homelessness.
That doesn't mean that a government should not fund symphonies or museums.
It is up to the people to decide what is most important.
There will never be complete agreement on what is most important.
Because hunger and poverty exists does not mean that money can not be used for other things.
No matter how much money is spent there will always be some who believe not enough money is being spent on problems.

Answer 2

Good question. In the United States, i often wonder the same thing about coporations who spend millions on sponsoring race cars and college football bowl games. My health insurance company spent 10 million on box seats & sposorship of a new baseball stadium and premiums increased. Public funds are spent on sporting events in many places Here they keep saying that the benefit to the local economy is great and more than makes up for the money spent, but from what I've read most Olympic games end up in debt.

Answer 3

I think lestermount is right.

There are different amount of money set aside for different types of need. gaining world recognition is important to china right now. only then china will bring in greater wealth and thus set aside more money to do the things you've mention. This method will benefit everyone in the long run.

If you blindly put China's wealth into saving the poor, not only you'll not be able to pull them out of poverty,(because there're just too many of them) you will stop the ability of China to regenerate more wealth for it's people. Everyone suffers.

China had been pulling billions of it's people out of poverty. But this is a slow process. It takes time.