World Cup

Slave labor used to build the facilities and they lied about allowing alcohol sales. Everyone knew this was a bad idea but fifa which is in the running for the most corrupt international sports federation awarded it to Qatar to hold the games the wrong time of the year simply because they paid the biggest bribes.

 

The slave labor weren’t Qatari they were mainly Indian and African.

 

The Budweiser lawsuit that will be coming against FIFA is gonna be yuge.

 

I doubt it. They will extend it till the next one for a nominal fee. To enact change we need to boycott the sponsors. The problem is Qatar is the biggest television sponsor of fox.

 

Oh, human rights is a party thing? I didn't know that.

 

The next one is here, so I don't think that sponsor boycott is happening any time soon.

 

Thank God we live in America … and consequently don’t give a [hoot] about soccer.

Seriously, though, if FIFA learns from this not to entertain letting countries like Qatar host future World Cups, then this will all have been worth it. I remember when Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics, they did so with the understanding that they would have to adjust to world, not the other way around. As I recall, they set aside some of their rules at least for the span of the games. Qatar should have done the same. I don’t begrudge them having their own laws consistent with their own culture. But if you want to host international events, you have to adjust to world norms.

 

So if the 1940 World Cup had been awarded to Germany, you would have been cool with it, because only Karen's would have cared about the Holocaust, which was beyond your personal control?

I love soccer, too, and the WC in particular, but I'm not sure I've seen a more tone deaf statement than this in almost 20 years on this board.

Awarding the WC to Qatar was a greedy, stupid decision by FIFA from the start.

 

Qatar money, FIFA corruption

 

Understand your point, but I think it’s hyperbole to call what Qatar does “slave labor.” It is certainly exploitive labor, and it is fair to criticize it. But to call it slave labor minimizes actual slave labor both historically and where it still happens in the world today. Unlike, say, the slave population of the U.S. in the early 1800s, Qatari workers are all volunteers, are all compensated for their work (fairly or not is a separate question), and can all quit whenever they like (though, not with the protections we expect in the West).

 

Well, in his defense, Republicans have shown us the last few years that empathy is clearly a partisan thing.

 

Without turning this thread on its head too much, all I have to say is, lol. The word Karen was specifically designated for rich suburban housewives who are use to getting their way with everything and never being told no. That’s basically the Republican Party in a nutshell. Hell, your party had a meltdown about wearing a cloth mask during a pandemic and constantly gets triggered over fake culture war issues, lol. But yeah, the left are the Karens. Anyways, back on topic.

 

It used to be Karen meant someone who called the cops on a black kid roller skating too close to their house, now I guess it means expressing some concern with corruption and the use of captive labor, which conservative estimates believe cost several thousands of lives.

 

What Qatar did was promise foreign workers decent wages to build the needed stadiums and infrastructure needed to host a WC. What actually happened when these workers arrived was their passports were confiscated, and they were forced to work for little more than daily rations. And without their passports, these workers were stuck. If that's not slave labor, then it's a lot more than just exploitative.

I understand why Qatar wanted to host the WC, and they are trying to "sportswash" their image. But I get the feeling this is going to blow up before it's all said and done. Especially now with the no beer sales at games. It's going to lead to fans drinking before the matches, and there is plenty of underground liquor to be bought in Qatar. Already drunk fans, WC soccer match, and a culture that is overly oppressive. What could go wrong?

 

I love the WC and soccer. It's underappreciated in America.

 

& if that weren't bad enough, you have to watch soccer.

 

But Az, why didn't they just move to another city or find a nicer slave master that gave them extra rations for better work? That's what you do if you don't like your job, I've been told.

 

That's pretty sad.

 

Soccer haters at 2pm on a workday be like "sure glad I'm doing these TPS reports rather than dipping out to go to a bar to drink & watch sports"

 

and some here wonder why the US is hated so much by other countries, you know, it's soccer, it sucks, who cares if 90% of the world does, we don't like or understand it, so it's garbage, and go Man. United