Not sure how much this topic is discussed in other countries. In Asia for example I have heard it is less relevant. In my country Germany they talk about it all day. Honestly I am quite sick of this debate. Ironically I now make a thread about it.
I think the world has currently way bigger problems than this soccer tournament. Inflation, Ukraine and climate change etc. I think the world cup is now popular in the media because most people are tired of the other topics.
Personally I boycott the matches. Moreover I think my country should have boycotted the cup. The main reason is many thousand migrant workers died in the last years. Inter alia when they built the stadiums.
However I think the media is too obsessed by it. I think it would be better when public broadcasting would have decided against showing it. It feels kind of like selling for indulgences. They want to show and enjoy the games however at the same time maintain moral superiority. I think the whole thing is rather about symbolism.
I mean we live in a globalized world. We have of course trade relations to dictatorships and countries which violate human rights. This is business as usual. Without that the world as we know it could not function. Moreover we can influence countries due to that with sanctions. Though the German saying "Change through trade" (Wandel durch Handel) did absolutely not work towards Russia. They mean by that we could export human rights by developing trade relations.
I have listened to way too many articles which argumented boycotting the cup is hypocrisy or texts which argumented for the opposite. I am kind of tired we have way bigger problems.
Though I have to say the Fifa is really a shithole. And this insane press conference of Gianni Infantino was pure propaganda. This dude is really insane. I could know analyze these really awkward and weird statements. But I just have the feeling we should not invest all of our attention into this topic. Maybe this thread is even making it worse. It is horrible workers have did in Qatar. And it is really bad how they use this event as sportswashing. On the other hand it might be a bad to politicize sports so much. Our societies are already way too divided. And sports can unite people. Like I think every single world cup of the last years was probably bought. If one wants to be consequent one probably should not watch any men soccer on a high level. So many clubs are sponsored by autocracies. This is one reason why I spend way less time into it. It is perverted how much these players earn. I don't want to support that. But at the end everyone has to decide for themselves in this debate. If I really loved soccer I might had a different opinion. It is rather easy for me because I am not that much interested anymore.
What is your stance on it?
I think the world has currently way bigger problems than this soccer tournament. Inflation, Ukraine and climate change etc. I think the world cup is now popular in the media because most people are tired of the other topics.
Personally I boycott the matches. Moreover I think my country should have boycotted the cup. The main reason is many thousand migrant workers died in the last years. Inter alia when they built the stadiums.
However I think the media is too obsessed by it. I think it would be better when public broadcasting would have decided against showing it. It feels kind of like selling for indulgences. They want to show and enjoy the games however at the same time maintain moral superiority. I think the whole thing is rather about symbolism.
I mean we live in a globalized world. We have of course trade relations to dictatorships and countries which violate human rights. This is business as usual. Without that the world as we know it could not function. Moreover we can influence countries due to that with sanctions. Though the German saying "Change through trade" (Wandel durch Handel) did absolutely not work towards Russia. They mean by that we could export human rights by developing trade relations.
I have listened to way too many articles which argumented boycotting the cup is hypocrisy or texts which argumented for the opposite. I am kind of tired we have way bigger problems.
Though I have to say the Fifa is really a shithole. And this insane press conference of Gianni Infantino was pure propaganda. This dude is really insane. I could know analyze these really awkward and weird statements. But I just have the feeling we should not invest all of our attention into this topic. Maybe this thread is even making it worse. It is horrible workers have did in Qatar. And it is really bad how they use this event as sportswashing. On the other hand it might be a bad to politicize sports so much. Our societies are already way too divided. And sports can unite people. Like I think every single world cup of the last years was probably bought. If one wants to be consequent one probably should not watch any men soccer on a high level. So many clubs are sponsored by autocracies. This is one reason why I spend way less time into it. It is perverted how much these players earn. I don't want to support that. But at the end everyone has to decide for themselves in this debate. If I really loved soccer I might had a different opinion. It is rather easy for me because I am not that much interested anymore.
What is your stance on it?
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