The budget for the 2012 Olympic Games?

I just read in a BBC article that the budget for the 2012 Olympic Games in the UK is £9.3 billion ($18 billion). Sure, the Games are great but how can anyone justify spending £9,300,000,000 on an event that lasts 2 weeks (when there is still so much need in the world). Why not bring the Olympics to West Africa and use all that money to rebuild country after country? London doesn't need all that investment. The total government budget for Liberia for the whole of 2006 was about £63 million ($125 million). That puts £9.3 billion a little more into perspective. For the full article click here. Olly