The Olympics – ancient and modern divisions – were intended to be celebrations where men laid down their arms and engaged in competitions that did not end with bodies strewn across the landscape. The intentions were noble but the games – especially those of today – were inevitably corrupted by the usual things. Politics, avarice, commercialism, drugs …

And now the failure of the Olympics as an ideal appears complete as Islamist terrorists threaten to infiltrate the games and spread havoc.  So participating nations send soldiers and warships to protect their athletes.