In years past, Olympic games have been suspended during wartime, and countries participating in wars did not participate. During World War Two, the Olympics were suspended for twelve years. This year, the United States participated even though we have an ongoing "War on Terror."
If we consider this a war, then why are we still competing?
The media has exaggerated our presence in the country compared to past wars because of it's decreasing popularity. Our presence in Iraq isn't necessarily a war, it's an attempt at fixing a big mess we've created by overthrowing the government, which was arguably necessary. We're calling this a "War on Terror" to try to unite the country by making it seem like we have a clear mission in the Middle East, even though most of it is trying to convince ourselves and the rest of the world that we will remain global superpowers. The Olympics give countries a sense of patriotism and pride in a time that it's fairly obviously needed. People are losing faith in the government because of the failing economy, and are looking to find a new reason to love their country.
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This is an interesting topic. While I understand why participating in the Olympics with people you are at war with is strange (maybe even a little awkward), this isn't the type of war that WWII was.
Also, it seems like the shock of war has worn off quite a bit. We were in 4th grade when 9/11 happened and being at war seems almost normal. I think that because this war has gone on for so long, the nation has gotten used to it, and can "keep living its life" and participate in things like the Olympics.
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