London 2012: Facelift, fiasco and fear

I was pleasantly surprised to have a no-glitch journey to work on Monday, 30 July 2012, the first working day after the opening of the London Olympic Games. The tube was unusually empty, and my journey from  Piccadilly Circus along Regent Street was more like a stroll rather than a brisk walk interrupted by the usual stream of visitors. 

  Volunteers had all the time to pose
for the camera 

In the tube, I was seated next to two London 2012 volunteers who were saying how lucky they were to be part of this great event. It is indeed a special moment for the youth in this country to have the flavour of a high profile work experience, especially at a time when jobs are few and far between.

However, not everybody  is interested to be part of the great experience. The G4S fiasco speaks not only of the inefficiency of the organisation assigned with the responsibility of providing the necessary security for the London games, but also about the apathy of a section of the youth to excel themselves. 
                                           

Oxford Circus, London's celebrated
shopping district was unusually quiet

The armed forces have saved the British politicians from a major embarrassment, but it needs to be seen if any under the table deal shaped the involvement of the security firm G4S with London 2012. One thing is for sure, if such a fiasco would have unfolded in any other country, especially in the developing world, Team GB would have been the first to back out citing security concerns.

People at the helm of affairs in Britain are yet to come to terms with the geo-political reality that their heydays are over and British history is no longer synonymous to the phenomenal changes taking place all around the world. Notwithstanding their tall claims, Britain in particular and Europe in general are the biggest losers in the socio-economic upheaval that is shaping the world today as a fall out of the current phase of globalisation.

Shops are even hiring models
 to lure customers 

The economic fulcrum has tilted to the East, and coupled with the demographic dividends that the oriental countries are reaping, they have rendered Britain and Europe forces of the past.

Performers often ensure their superiority and success by the way they manage human emotions, which is intrinsically linked to the societal changes that take place around the world, and Danny Boyle is no exception. That Britain is now a backbencher in the global arena - both politically and economically, probably tempted him to rely on the golden days of the past rather than the harsh reality of the present.

I must admit that initially I was overwhelmed by the opening ceremony of London 2012 - its treatment of the trajectory of the modern civilisation and synchronising it with that of Britain, the cerebral component, the suave and sophisticated approach rather than a blatant exhibition of national might, as was demonstrated four years ago in Beijing.

The Dutch tourists tried to boost
themselves up

However, since Saturday morning, Friday night's euphoria evaporated and gave way to a more realistic assessment of things.

If China exhibited the national might of the present, Britain tried to showcase why it was ahead of others in the past. Moreover, Boyle and his advisors were so sipped into the glory of Britannia of the past that they probably overlooked that Olympics after all is an organic - not archaic - global event and the world has moved a long distance away from the period which epitomises the heydays of Britain.

Despite the best of efforts to portray an acrobatic Queen, accompanied by an iconic on screen James Bond, probably to demonstrate an interface of a monolithic monarchy and its dwindling empire (receding influence of Britain in geo-politics) with a fast changing moment of time, yet her grumpy face often scripted with gestures of disinterest - like surveying the nails of her fingers, extremely dull peach attire and an out of fashion hair-do were symbolic of the fact that 2012 was not a time to cheer for Britain.

Activities to drum up the spirit haven't
had much success so far

The empty seats in the games venues, an exceptionally quiet afternoon in the heart of London on the first working day of London 2012 were stark reminders that the best of Britain was over.

Prime Minister David Cameron and his spin doctors may be trumpeting that London 2012 will lift Britain from the miseries of a double dip recession, but as the latest figures show, the socio-economic woes are much deep-rooted and profound than it catches a politician's eye.

If the thin crowd at the Piccadilly Circus or the empty shops at Regent Street are any indication, the worst for Britain is not over yet.

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Tirthankar.Bandyopadhyay.Blog@gmail.com