Olympicism

Once again the Olympics rolls around with its vulgar displays of nationalism, chauvinism, tribalism, and a whole host of other -isms. People can't seem to appreciate the pursuit of excellence for its own sake; what matters is that your guy from your country wins, excellent or not. The Olympic phenomenon claims high ideals and principles, but it comes down to the same "we're better than you" attitude that characterizes so much of relations between societies.

That said, U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!