Olympics on Stolen Land > your protest against them

I think activism is super-important. In my history of comitting it(and make no mistake, activism is something you do, not something you think about) I have been blacklisted, spat upon, been targetted for various types of thrown objects, gasses, and hoses, and narrowly escaped arrest (RGH goes to jail? sounds like a musical).

HOWEVER

I feel really disillusioned lately. The current "No Olympics on Stolen Land" protest that is so popular with many people (including dear friends with whom I have agreed %%100 with before) is so centrally flawed and ass-backward. The activists yell "OLYMPICS = COLONIAL THEFT OF INDIGENOUS LAND!!!!!! CORPORATE PROFIT GRABBING!!!!!! ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION!!!!!! MILITARIZATION!!!!! MIGRANT EXPLOITATION!!!!!!" The people yelling the loudest seem to be students, who are ignoring the fact that their precious institutions are similarly built on stolen land(true also of the spaces they party in and the jobs they hold down). Why are the Olympics being blamed for things like migrant exploitation and ecological destruction when pretty much every thing that exists in north america is guilty of the same? I'm not suggesting for a second there aren't problems with the big O's, but the current protest will achieve nothing other than further marginalizing the activists' arguments. Colonialism, Corporatization, and Militarization are real problems, but there are MUCH worse offenders, much closer to home. If we hold the Olympics accountable, we must hold every business, organization, and entity that does the same.

A lot of activism seems to be about famewhoring. The excellent Stop Murder Music Campaign is sometimes overtaken by folk who'd rather be quoted in the press when someone big or notorious comes along then do anything when someone whose music they like or hypocritically deem as being "in the interest of artistic freedom" comes to town. A few summers ago, a big theatre-related protest centered around a man who isn't even allowed in the country. His absence negated the efforts of people who worked long and hard to make sure their outfits would be seen on tv and their voices could be hear loud and clear. They updated their facebook statuses and played cafe politics instead of doing something actually productive. In the end hype and the the publicity machine trumped actual political engagement.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not turning my back on protest life...I love complaining too much! However, I promise to back up that complaining with action, and to think through things. I hate seeing corporate logos everywhere, but I understand that money is needed to make things happen and that they have as much right to try and make a dollar as I do. Racism (and eveything else it engenders) sucks, but working from without is less effective than working from within. I'll be watching the Olympics this year with excitement, and I don't feel like I need to apologize to anyone for that. That is, until Canada's medal haul is again embarassingly low :P