Good Grief.
Michael Kocheff at CordWeekly argues that UFC should not be allowed in Canada.
Unlike most ignorant writers, he takes a different tack. Unfortunately for him (and his readers), it's just as stupid:
Who is the best fighter in the world is a pretty useless bit of information. In fact, it seriously detracts from Canada's health as a nation.
Not only are people tempted to watch something quite trivial, but our grip on reality is weakened in the process. Violence is glorified, the brute strength of man put on to display for a national audience.
It's hard to know where to start really. First, it really shouldn't be up to snobs like Kocheff to determine what goals are worthwhile or not. The point of freedom is to let people choose. The ratings in Canada suggest many people think it is quite worthwhile. Personally, I don't really give a shit about who is best at scoring goals or defending them in Hockey, but I don't recommend the government ban it for everyone.
Even more annoying is this idea that it is somehow wrong to promote the strength and skill of individual men competing against one another. Why is this point in any way self evident? Not only is such competition deeply rooted in human history, it is also indirectly involved in all other sports, even those that do not make it their primary purpose. Even in a fucking tennis match, there are serious questions of toughness and struggle that determine victors.
Individual competition among consenting adults has been the primary factor behind nearly all Western progress over the last 200-300 years. A sport that captures this idea in its most raw form is not immoral, unless you believe the forces that have lead to that progress are immoral. Judging from his tone, Kocheff probably does, and I'd rather not leave the regulation of great sports to self-loathing imbeciles.
Get the latest gear
