Bouncing with joy, a baby born every 4 years
An empty canvas to be spattered with explosions of colour
El Jogo Bonito, the beautiful, beautiful game
How long, oh how long have these 4 years been!
I want to ignore the dark and red and tears
I am human, I am hypocritical
I am human, I feel the pain of humans
I am human, I search for mine and move on
A Socialist who shrugs at beggars with "no change..."
A new champion, a new year, a new champion!
The call of the mundane tugging at the call of the memorable
Oh how I look forward to the thrill of anguish and victory
The dancing and flair and all the cultures and the upsets
A bittersweet finale and four more years
The shaitaan of ethical consumption does his waswas
That the grass in the desert is watered with pain
That bondage still exists in this part of the world
Guess who built this thing Abu
Is a ball really worth life and death?
You cannot "use this moment to discuss abuse"
You cannot whatabout the slavery of millions
You cannot enjoy this as an innocent bystander
You cannot normalize watching this Abu
You can shrug and be a hypocrite (btw Ghana is toootally going to take revenge on Uruguay in their group match for Suarez don't you thin-
https://youtu.be/XMDBGScItUo
https://youtu.be/XOpOvMdEdl4
https://youtu.be/_VpdcYFY9pE
https://youtu.be/FTEyC8M7tfg
https://youtu.be/gMh-vlQwrmU
INKTOBER 8: MATCH/"TWO SIDES OF THE WAVING FLAG"
MUSIC: Wavin' Flag, K'Naan
VIDEO: A compilation of videos - Germany 2-1 Algeria 2014 by RptimaoTV2, Qatar WC costs 6500 Workers Their Lives by TYTSports, Qatar Emir on LGBTQ fans by MiddleEast Eye, Carlsen vs Nepo Game 6 by Chess24, The Megacity Secretly Built by Slaves by VICE
I love sports. A lot. Yet, sports exists in a dystopian world. When the two interact, it creates a dilemma. Can you enjoy an event that normalizes human rights violations? Should you stop watching altogether? Can you enjoy it as a phenomenon to itself while recognizing the violence and corruption behind its organization? When Dubai holds an Expo with the World Chess Championship as the star spectacle, Qatar kills over 200 workers per match to host the World Cup, and Brazil's team back Jair Bolsonaro, can you strike a balance between personal and political, or abandon one of the few things that keeps you sane? What is clear is that sports federations are corrupt and will collude with colonial powers and dictatorships for money (as FIFA has in the past with Italy, Chile, UK, Argentina, and Russia; FIDE has with the USSR; and, most famously, the 1936 Olympics). Governments use sporting events to rabble rouse - be it India with cricket, Brazil and Hungary with football, or the Cold War shenanigans around Fischer vs Spassky. Amidst the hubbub, sports is defiled.
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