Heroes, Protestors, China, and YOU!

Let's get something straight about "heroes" it's not guys in capes, or stupid people with banners, or innocent people who died tragically, or politicians, or people who did what they had to do because they couldn't stand "taking it" anymore. Invocation of "heroes" is the last resort of a desperate argument, and should be treated with suspicion- if not out right contempt.

Maybe you've heard about the Protesters who went to CHINA- fucking look it up- to protest CHINA... Because the Olympics are about this whiny bullshit or that hippie fucktardness; and the Chinese are human rights abusers. Anyway, a couple of them were detained without contact for some time; though, now they've been found and are getting 10 days jail plus deportation. Just because they don't speak-a tha Eng-lash, doesn't mean the Chinese are stupid. Just because they're not democratic, and censor everything, doesn't mean they're not the slightest bit aware of media and marketing. Back to the point, this all sparked huge discussions about China and protesters, and Tibet, and all that shit...

The Olympics isn't about Unity; that's what we who invented the best of it, like to call "Marketing". And Fighting Marketing With Marketing, makes as much sense as "fucking for virginity" (or whatever cliche you'd like, instead). Protesting the actions of an Authoritarian state INSIDE that Authoritarian state isn't smart, nor heroic, nor worthy of praise. It is, however, marketing. Maybe it gets the point across; but is "selling out" the, so called, moral fiber and ethics of "the cause" really worth a tiny bit of press? Invoking Martin Luther King Jr, who so many pro-protestors love to cite, read his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, where he criticizes the moderates. Half-assed measures are for half-assed people and, usually, about half-assed ideas.

More to the point, about Martin Luther King, you may be saying "but he advised direct action and not waiting!" Yes, but how is doing stupid bullshit, that amounts to nothing more than self aggrandizement, direct action? Those protests, and rallies, and fund-raisers.. they don't get seen by the people in China. They don't let the "poor and unfortunate" Tibetans know that the world "has their back". These protests- whatever their form- don't affect the Chinese Government's stance. It's just phony bullshit for guilty westerners to try and feel better about themselves, and get some of that infamous hippie stank. That's not direct action, that's moderation- even when it's done in China. It's not even a particularly clever marketing ploy.

Let's face it, most people today are, fairly, media-savy. We've all got bullshit/marketing detectors. Does anyone really believe the sincerity of someone on an infomercial, anymore? So, staging a stunt probably isn't going to do more than "preach to the choir". Especially when that stunt will only be seen by that choir. And when it sets off the marketing-stunt-detector, it only serves to hurt "the cause".

This is all to say, the protesters are suspect. Doing it for the LULZ, or the smelly hippie lust-pie, or for the self-esteem boost, or because you think it helps (when it doesn't).... How is that noble? How is that worth respect? How is going somewhere and "doing something" that amounts to nothing, any better than going nowhere and sparking an actual debate- where people actually consider what's being said?

Is it good to try and "better the world in which we live"? Sure; but pulling a childish stunt isn't going to help anybody. Oh, it might serve to give the stunter a few fleeting minutes of fame and faux-glory; but that's not helping, that's marketing. Everybody sees it as the bullshit it is; and unless the viewer already agrees, it won't change anyone's mind.

So, that's the case for why everyone else is a stupid fucking moron. Nevermind the cases for why the Dhali Lama is a douche bag hypocritical scumbag; and the fact that "Ancient Tibetan society" was a theological-monarchy where the priest caste owned everyone as chattel. Fuck whether we need to clean up our own Trail of Tears bullshit before we start bitching at China about moving Han into Tibetan areas.

If you want to effect change, here's how: Fuck 'em in their economy. Lobby your local federal representatives to put conditions against Human Rights Abuse on Trade Packages with China. Lobby the world bank, and every other institution, to force China to free it's currency, which is currently pegged to a percentage of the US Dollar. Don't buy Chinese goods. Learn Chinese, move to China, educate the masses, and start a new revolution.

Don't expect praise for being stupid. Don't get sanctimonious about how your bullshit is "making a difference". Don't try to convince me- I enjoy and implement critical thinking, with a healthy dose of realism. Above all, don't be stupid and/or naive.