USA

also, despite the olimpics being presented as a contest between nations, they are a struggle between single athletes
nations don't win medals
athletes do

It's presented as a contest between nations because it is, in modern times, a contest between nations.

You're right in that, in each individual event, it is a contest between athletes; but what one must bare in mind is that those athletes are on that international stage as a representative of their country. No matter how good you are, without the backing of a nation, you can't compete.

Nations don't win medals per se; the representatives of the nations win medals. Given that the athletes compete in the name of, and under the official authority of, their nation - they are, essentially, their nation during the competition. That's why we think of nations winning medals.

The "we" thing; It's an idiot trying to feel involved. Unless you are from the same council area as the athlete, or you are their personal trainer/close family member; you played no part in them attaining anything at the games [council members will likely have contributed at least a small amount to the financial aid of the training athlete, or to the financing of public training facilities used at some point by the athlete].

actually you can compete without representing a country and two athletes this year are doing so as 'independent' under the olympic flag
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Olympic_Athletes_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics

Those are case-specific phenomenon, caused by the likes of dissolution of a autonomous state [and by extension the Olympic committee in that state], or the creation of another state wherein no committee was formed in time for athletes to represent their nation.

You can't be, say, Scottish, and compete independently. Like I said, no matter how good you are; you can't compete without the backing of a nation. You'll find these athletes are able to compete as independents given support from their nation in principle, wherein support in practise can not be exercised due to the lack of an Olympic committee.

Basically; they can compete because a committee approved their participation before being disbanded, or they can compete because a committee approves their participation prior to formal formation.

Don't try to pull me up on a bullshit case-sensitive point mate; it won't go well for you.

i think you can race as an independent also if you dont wont to be shown to support a country. for instance, i think you could be cuban but dislike cuba and race as an independent, but man i see what you're saying and i was trying to bullshit your argument just saying there are exceptions to the rule.
however i also think that being in a country, when your athletes are doing well is something to be proud of because that person didn't do it on their own, they used public money or (here in the UK) lottery money in order to be able to train, so you can be proud of them as an extension of being happy with where your tax is going...

"Athletes have competed as Independent Olympians at the Olympic Games for various reasons, including political transition and international sanctions. The naming and country code conventions for these independent Olympians have not been consistent."

De facto, at least, you can only participate given the lack of an Olympic committee [due to the creation or dissolution of a state] in your home country, or wherein the Olympic committee in your given country has been suspended [I'm thinking Kuwait with that one; though this time around they're going under their own flag given the reinstatement of the Olympic Committee in Kuwait prior to the games starting].

You can't just decide "I don't like my country, I want to be an independent participant"

Oh okay, so wars aren't contests between nations, they are struggles between soldiers.

Wars involve politics, and politics ar a typically national thing.
Also they sometimes require self-sacrifice spirit and great industrial efforts to be carried on (think about the WWII, how much did russian, american, german and japanese people have to suffer and work?).

well if nations do not win the Olympics and athletes do, how come the U.S has won so consistently for the last 60 years or so?

Because you have 313 million people in your country.

explain india..... and don't say its because they are all in customer support!

ah yes, India, land of oppertunities, otherwise known for its high standard of living, a place where every person with talent gets to blossom

Because over 32% of the population of India falls below the international poverty line.

The same way we're all fat and lazy.

Statistics say that many of those who live in the U.S.A. are overweight., that is why americans get called fat.

he didn't make fun of america, it was a point backed by evidence, i'm american and eat a dick

poor use of the word "and" there, just pointing it out

a statistic is evidence dumbass

*647 atheletes

China were #1 when he commented (12 hours ago)

united states has been #1 for a couple of days, in the beginning they were. but its neck and neck so everyone should stop bitching

13 hours ago China had 1 more medal than the US, while they were both on 25 golds

U.S has been in first place for a while now........research before you post stupid shit.

China were #1 12 hours ago when he commented, dumbfuck

No, the U.S. has been number 1 for about a day now.

12 hours ago China had a 1 medal lead over the US while both them and the US had 25 golds each

Does Bill have to slap a stupid cunt?

Oh okay, then the standings were completely fucking wrong when I checked them this time yesterday and they said that the U.S. was in 1st place.

This time yesterday? That's yesterday. 12 hours ago is today (the 4th), not the day before (the 3rd)

You're not helping to get rid of your 'dumb American' stereotype here, pal

You're a fucking idiot. They update it every day. So if the U.S. was in 1st yesterday, and they're in 1st today, then it never changed dumbshit.

15 hours ago when mazztricks made his post, China were in the lead by 1 medal and they were equal on golds with the US. They were in front at the time

How hard is this for you to understand? Do yanks not understand the concept of 24 hours to a day? By your logic, 15 hours ago was yesterday, nope it was the same day fucktard

Except for the fact that China wasn't in the fucking lead 15 hours ago. The U.S. has been at least 1 medal ahead since yesterday night, aka 24 fucking hours ago.

You haven't been following the olympics very closely have you...

Yesterday the US were in front, earlier this afternoon though China went in front for a few hours after they got the gold in the mens 20km walk, but the US pulled back in front later that evening

My point stands, when mazztricks made his comment, China were #1

You. Fucking. Retard.

Hahahaha no. That isn't what happened.

Why do you battle for something you don't even care about? You've proven to me you don't follow the olympics much, why does it matter so much to you?

That other moment when you realize that a select group of lazy, unmotivated fat-asses does not represent the health of the citizens of the same nation.

"healthy" BMI range which only athletes/fitness junkies should be in anyways"

Nigga you just went full retard

Athletes aren't compatible with BMI as their body weight isn't a good indicator for their health

If you were a personal trainer you'd know this, oh but wait, that points to the fact that you aren't one. If you're going to talk shit don't try to back it up with bullshit. You're just digging yourself a hole here, idiot

www.reuters.com/article/2010/12/07/us-europe-idUSTRE6B62B020101207

Title: Half of Europeans are overweight or obese: report

Three letters. Three God damned letters. And you can't even get that right. Also, to be obese to just have to be like 30 pounds overweight or some stupid shit like that. Also, with a country of over 325 million people, combined with a poor economy because Congress is full of fucking ignorant Liberals, many of our people can't afford healthy food. You can call us fat and stupid, but you know what you can never call us? Weak. That's right, hows it feel to know that your country could be beaten by another country who is so "stupid and fat"?

Well, You certainly are an idiot.

what's that the flag's waving? sorry didn't know there was air on the moon

It waved when they placed it due to gravitational laws, and It waved when they took off because of the dust from the ignition.

You are stupid

It wouldn't wave horizontally, it would flop and hang downwards

that's what she said

if it had the gravity of 20 earths.....maybe but not now

Even on Earth (1 Earth) flags hang downwards when there's no wind

The moon has gravity, no matter how little, so a flag would still hang downwards

Or it was unfolded.......

yfw

mfw*

What's that? I can't hear you over the enormous military budget.
Sure WMDs re way more important than space travel.

Well fuck, by the time I got round to posting this, you're up 13 thumbs. Meaning nobody will listen to me.

Just saying, Cost to run SETI for one year = The cost of one attack helicopter.
Fact supplied by The Sagan Series.

He didn't imply shit. He's saying that Europeans have done this same exact thing. I hear Norwegians, for instance, bragging about their country all the fucking time.

What you are feeling right now, that's butthurt LOL.

I like your thinking sir

Host nation always has an advantage. I do have to give it up for the Brits, they've been wrecking it the last few days.

judging by the amount of medals..... we are winning :P haha even though you are right

This was a nice change from everyone yelling about their butthurt. I love America, but we're definately not any better than everyone, just as the other countries aren't any better than us. But no one listens to the rational people of their nations. There's no entertainment value in that.

And I apologize to any of you that are actually intelligent. If you are then you know this post isn't directed at you and thanks for not being an idiot.

Believing yourself to be more intelligent than others annoys me, I really believe that is the stupidest thing you can ever do.

I'm sorry that you feel that way but I'm not trying to flaunt it. I don't think it's wrong at all to feel good about something I worked hard to do.

If you worked hard for it, I wouldn't exactly consider it intelligence. And it really, Okay it might be okay to feel good about it, but when you start feeling superior. That is very different. As a truly intelligent man once said. "Wisest is he who knows he does not know".

I'll go ahead and admit that I'm not the wisest in the world. What I have in book smart I lack in common sense. It's like a negative correlation between the too. Sorry if I offended you though. That wasn't my intent at all.

Fuck you stop being nice now :L Its hard to argue and be nice at the same time :P

Well I hope you accept my apology and all. I come off as conceited sometimes but I don't actually think I'm the best thing in the world. Those kids of people are annoying. But I will act like I'm the best thing in the world if I'm arguing with someone because it pisses them off and that's funny :P

Nyessss, I'm sorry for possibly offending you then too... I suppose.

We do not own nukes. You do.

Everyone owns nukes.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_nuclear_weapons

I am not from any of those countries. But fine i'll accept that answer.
With that answer I will then question this: 'I'm glad you people are too stupid to get elected into a position of power.' We have nukes, we are in a position of power.

May not have read your comment quite right the first time... eh well.

I'll agree that our leaders aren't the brightest in the world but at least they don't go around firing them at random people for calling our moms fat. I was referring more to FunnyJunk as a whole. I know there are kind, friendly, and smart people speckled about but read down in this content a bit further and you'll see what I mean. It's the immaturity that bothers me. It's both sides that contribute to all of the country elitism. Though neither side will take responsibility for it. It's always "but eurofags always say this so it's ok to make fun of them with this" and "Americunts always say this so it's ok to make fun of them with this". I'm all for humor if it's done correctly but blindly bashing a country "just because" isn't funny or classy. It just makes me question the maturity of the site when I see things like this on the front page and I know what you're thinking. "If you hate it so much then why not leave?". The answer that is: I dunno. I guess I just don't want to. Also porn in the nsfw section... And I've been coming here since forever and I don't like change :(

Right I get you now. I suppose there is no really arguing that, but it really, equally doesn't help that people are always complaining, believing themselves to be superior *cough atheists* and losing faith in humanity every freaking day.

Everyone on that list*

citation needed

**gamesdisk rolled a random image posted in comment #5 at Oh Shi..... ** Norway.. oh yer, they are perfect... wish I lived there.

okay, yeah, Norway, you're perfect. but everyone else, are you really so without faults?

why did you thumb me down, i was being serious. Norway is beautiful. I haven't been there since i was 7 but still.

Ha your username made me chuckle.

68%? I didn't think it was that bad. In fact, I know it can't be. We may be fat, but we aren't THAT fat, though I suppose in the south...

Im not saying its just the UK, I'm just showing that in comparison to the rest of the world the US isnt that much fatter. (excluding africa, cause of the whole starvation thing)

I am not fat, I am big boned and I take offense to all these fat comments..

Oh sorry, I thought you were supposed to be proud of your country when it was winning the Olympics.

They obese, redneck, fucktards and niggers that everyone talks about in those "hurr durr Americans are fat and stupid" posts =/= me or most Americans

All americans aren't, well, the stereotypical american (you guys have made this painfully clear.) America is a large country, and those Olympians do their job good. The olympics have almost nothing to do with America's obesity rate.