Audwulf Loc: Golden State

:roll:

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

Thank you for proving Obama's point. No one cm deny that Michael Phelps put in an incredible amount of hard work to achieve his success. I cannot imagine how many laps he swam in practice over the course of his career.

But he didn't do it alone. As the cartoon shows, he didn't build the pools he swam at. He didn't pay for the costs of going to the Olympics. There is an infrastructure in place for him to utilize that we all helped pay for. The USOC has training facilities all over the country for people like him to take avantage of. Private or public funding of those facilities is irrelevant, the point is, he didn't pay for them.

So yes, your supposedly sarcastic cartoon has a lot more truth in it than you probably will admit to.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

Good points, tschmath. We all paid for the infrastructure, and we all benefit from it. Phelps paid his share, I assume, and he shouldn't owe back any more than all the rest of us. This mentality reminds me of someone winning the lottery and people come crawling out of the woodwork, claiming a "fair share".

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

He doesn't "owe back any more than the rest of us", and that was not my point. My point was that he did not do it alone. His incredibly hard work, coupled with what was available for him, made it possible for him to be a success. With any of those elements missing, including all of his hard work, none of that would've been possible. I'm willing to bet that there were times that his mother was the driving force behind him, that she kept him going when he wanted to give up. She drove him to the pool when he was a kid. He could not have done it without her pushing him when he needed it. He did not do it alone. I absolutely stand by what I said. He didn't do it alone. He owes nothing to anyone financially, as you are implying that I'm saying, and no one has any claim financially on him, as you are implying I'm saying. But he didn't succeed in a vacuum. He didn't do it alone.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

I appreciate your explanation of your views, tschmath, and I concur. The first thing a gracious winner does is acknowledge those who assisted in their success.
My point is that Phelp's mother doesn't come rushing out to remind us that she drove him to training, and suggest that half his Gold Medals belongs to her.