Olympic Dreams

Is it just me or is there a lot of cynicism around the Vancouver Olympics? It's not just the hundreds of protestors that show up at every turn or even the polls that show almost everyone agrees that the "Olympics are planned to benefit the elite members of society". To me the cynicism is a mirror reflection of the almost hysterical hype heard from politcians and radio talk show hosts. There seems to be a desire to paint people who don't want to celebrate the Olympics as curmudgeonly. Heck, even Stephen Harper is exhorting us all to be loud and proud about our Canadian-ness. This from a guy who once called Canada "a second-rate socialist country".

I don't know. I don't have a huge problem with people who want to dedicate their lives to being 1/1000 of a second faster down the hill than everyone else. I don't even care that they get government subsidies for doing it. I just can't get that excited about it, though. I mean seriously. If there were no more Olympics, would we really be worse off for it? Some claim that the Olympics encourage young people to take up sports but is that really true? Or do elite sports really encourage people to sit on the couch with a beer and a bag of nacho chips? Karl Marx once called religion the "opiate of the masses". If he were alive today, I think he'd reserve that title for spectator sports.

I'm one of those who gets downright cynical when I read about the tactics employed by the IOC when it comes to trademark protection. I think that the time, money and attention devoted to hosting the games could have gone into more worthwhile pursuits, like homelessness or addiction. It seems to me like the Olympics are a huge gift to the hospitality industry.

So, call me a curmudgeon. But this Olympics, I'm going to be cheering for the protestors.

Be safe out there.