The question is how should democracies relate to corrupt, unaccountable global organisations which have considerable influence within their borders. Singos encourage a kind of globally oriented egomania which is reminiscent of the papacy at the worst periods of its history. Note the longevity of leadership of, for example, the two most important Singo leaders of modern times: João Havelange was at Fifa from 1974 to 1998, while Juan Antonio Samaranch was IOC president from 1980 to 2001. At the same time, both organisations are models of successful global governance, with well-developed systems of finance and regulation. The People's Republic of China has met conditions laid down by the IOC in a deferential manner which it would never have accorded to the IMF, let alone (say) the World Wildlife Fund. Singo leaders are right to argue that global sport has been able to develop because of this delegation; it would not work if states radically varied the policies and laws affecting sporting competition. Even Stalin kowtowed to the IOC: his original demand that the USSR and its satellites would join the
Olympic movement only if "Fascist" Spain were excluded was met with a firm refusal and he simply backed down.

Yet I do think that all of these organisations, including Fifa, Uefa (European football's governing body), the International Rugby Board and the International Cricket Council, are likely to act against the interests of British sports fans. Also that there is a case for total non-co-operation with the Olympic movement. A brief summary of what is wrong with the Olympics from a genuine sportsman's and liberal's point of view would include the following arguments:

• The Games have proved to be corrupt in every aspect.
• They have consistently legitimised unacceptable regimes, including Nazis and Communists within the "global village" and allowed those regimes to boost their legitimacy internally.
• They are dominated by forms of sport which are bio-mechanical in nature and thus "vulnerable" to all kinds of bio-technology, including chemical doping and genetic modification.
• Moreover, contrary to the image they try to maintain, often with great success, they do not represent any kind of pinnacle of sporting achievement. Most of the important sports in the world, defined in terms of finance and cultural significance, are either not represented or represented at only a relatively low level.