RE: Why I´m joining the Qatar World Cup Boycott and you should too
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Now I remember my blog here THE WORLDCUP YARNS
Hi, 2 major issues I see as worth talking about in this blog by @phortun .
First, is something your 2nd paragraph spoke about. Yup,they may be no caveat in the hosting rights books to handle accidental deaths,but do you need a caveat where human beings are dieing,not just by accidents?
These are not leaves of trees falling off,they are HUMANS. People won't be crying foul if they saw FIFA take a firm stance on the issue of these deaths, especially when it is well known that the deaths were not just mere mishaps in a proper worksite, but deaths that were occasioned by poor worksite conditions,work done under very unsafe practices/conditions. These things are no secrets,they are verifiable facts, if you check. So fellow human beings like you and I were employed on a suicide mission more or less.
Second is how, Qatar got it. If they won it fairly,I won't bother about the other things...I call them politics just like you.
But they got this hosting right via corruption. Corruption is untenable whether it is the unpopular Qatar that engages in it or it is the popular England. The partner in corruption–FIFA– has to be chided for doing this harm to football and the world. "When the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do?"– a statement from the Holy Bible, would mean here that once the hosting right was gotten by corruption, it's no surprise FIFA could not call them out when their worksites where more or less death traps, when there worksites didn't meet best-practices in the Building Profession.
I end with an excerpt from my blog mentioned above:
"It is such a messy affair really that seeks to promote the lust for money over and above sound character virtues football ought to be upholding, especially when it has to do with the biggest competition in football– the World Cup"
I understand and sympathize with your reservations about human deaths, and I don't want my lack of support for the boycott to be perceived as disrespect or disregard for their right to life. I apologize if this is my fault.
But when people lose their lives for various reasons during the transportation of a product, those who buy that product do not say "you were careless in the transportation of this product, people died...I am not buying your product".
Or we know how gold mined from gold mines causes environmental disasters and endangers the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, killing them over time... but we don't stop buying gold.
Or there are many people working in coal mines under unfavorable conditions and their lives are constantly threatened... but no one says we don't buy coal because of the difficulties in their working conditions... These are unfortunately double standards of people and institutions.
You're right, Qatar probably got the hosting rights through corruption but that's not enough reason for me to protest against the football on the pitch! Every year we watch matches that stink of match fixing, some of them are proven and the people involved are punished but not all of them are proven... we are aware of the betting games but we don't lose interest in football.
I think we should look at what we have done as football fans before criticizing FIFA and UEFA.
For example, the Italian Super Cup, the French Cup Final, the Spanish Cup Final have been played in Qatar many times just for money. Once the final of my own country was also played in Qatar. It is no longer a secret that money and betting have taken over football! Some clubs in Europe are being sold to Arab sheiks, which country is taking measures to prevent this? I apologize if there is information that I don't know and have missed, but until it comes to FIFA and UEFA, there are more country federations to blame and those in authority who do not take measures.
I will watch the matches as a simple football fan, away from boycotts and similar protests!
Thank you for your contribution. I read both the post you mentioned here and your comment and all I can say is that I´m in 100% agreement with your stance.