The Ukraine President has called for a boycott of the WC 2018 in Russia. http://www.theguardian.com/football...etro-poroshenko-world-cup-2018-boycott-russia The odds of this happening are very low. Also, to act on our own would be suicide. But if England, Germany, France decided to boycott the WC, would you be supportive of the U.S. joining the boycott?
I would support a boycott with a heavy heart for the right political/social situation. WCs are so rare, it would be so painful to miss one (they really are watershed lifetime events!). To be honest though, I'm more personally motivated to push for a boycott of Qatar than Moscow...
I worry about it turning into a slippery slope. I support putting some pressure on FIFA, but I'm hesitant to support a boycott, which seems extreme.
No. The Qatar issue involves only money. The Russian issue involves lives and the respect of sovereignty. Those are issues central to being an American. Far, far more important than some bribes.
Death toll among Qatar’s 2022 World Cup workers revealed Revealed: Qatar's World Cup 'slaves' Qatar accused of working 1,200 people to death in £39billion building bonanza for 2022 World Cup I'm not advocating for boycotts. I'm just pointing out that if arguments are to be made for boycotts -- there are plenty valid reasons in Qatar as well as Russia; as there were in Brazil. I'd also be loathe to investigate the situation leading up to South Africa as well. FIFA runs an ugly business -- but clearly Russia and Qatar have been two examples of the ugliest.
The Brazil and South Africa World Cups were both terrible for those countries: forced displacements, implementation of private surveillance and security firms that are accountable to no one, suspension of local laws, including those to protect workers or citizen's human rights, huge scale stadium projects that will, most likely, never be used again (this is certainly the case for SA, who is still paying off billions in debts for stadiums that have gone unused since the tournament. Hosting the WC actually cost them millions and it looks like Brazil will be the same way). Honestly, hosting the event is a nightmare at this point and the kind of crazy things FIFA asks for as requirements -- like basically asking to override local laws in any of the host cities -- is why the event will only be awarded to nations that are utterly corrupt or undemocratic.
Hmmmmm.......and we wonder why there is so much anti American sentiment in the world. Let's get you started Flogging is used in Qatar as a punishment for alcohol consumption or illicit sexual relations.[7] Article 88 of Qatar's criminal code declares the punishment for adultery is 100 lashes.[8] Adultery is punishable by death when a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man are involved.[8] In 2006, a Filipino woman was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery.[8] In 2010, at least 18 people (mostly foreign nationals) were sentenced to flogging of between 40 and 100 lashes for offences related to “illicit sexual relations” or alcohol consumption.[9] In 2011, at least 21 people (mostly foreign nationals) were sentenced to floggings of between 30 and 100 lashes for offences related to “illicit sexual relations” or alcohol consumption.[
I'm hoping to go to the WC in Russia as it would be a blast, so people can boycott all they like. Hopefully that means the lines won't be so long as I'm not the most patient guy.
Not to make this too political, but I think whether we would possibly boycott depends on the political leadership of our country at the time. I don't think Klinsmann or whoever is the coach at the time would call for a boycott by the USMNT. It would come from politicians, most likely the president, if we were to see a call for a boycott.
The last time the US boycotted a major global competition was the 1980 Moscow Olympics (correct me if I'm wrong); the USSR returned the favor by not coming to Los Angeles four years later. The reason we boycotted was due to the USSR's incursion into Afghanistan...which is also when we began supplying the Afghan rebels with arms. Don't tell anyone in the US who's lost a family member in the military "protecting" the populace in Afghanistan that this is not a f#cked up world. Russia doesn't deserve the WC Qatar doesn't deserve the WC FIFA could care less about ethics...they have their own set of absent mores. They recently released a statement that they-FIFA are more important than any national federation. Even if that federation plays in a nation with draconian laws, with malice/inequities towards women, gay people, people of color, or anyone who might like a beer in 110 F degree heat. I'd be all for a boycott, or two, if there were a strong enough coalition.
I have the unfortunate situation of being 42 currently and having young boys who like soccer, and being that father of those sons in 2015, and having the next TWO world cups being in places I would rather not travel to or spend any of my money supporting, this puts me in a difficult situation. Time is a heartless bastard and waits for no ethical dilemmas. If it was up to me, I would never, ever spend a dime or step foot in either of these nations. But life happens once, time moves forward and your young kids are only your young kids briefly. So unfortunately you have to count me out of the boycott. I'm with you in spirit, but not in action.
A boycott of Russia is pointless. Putin is gonna do what he's gonna do, WC or no WC. A Qatar boycott, on the other hand, if announced early enough and if it forces FIFA to move the event, could directly save lives. Estimates are that around 4000 workers will die building the WC stadiums. No WC, no stadiums. No stadiums, no deaths. I'm generally not a fan of boycotting sporting events for political reasons, but I draw the line when said event is going to directly cause the deaths of thousands of people.
Although the Jesse Owens story makes a great visual it wasn't the embarrassment to Hitler we make it out to be. Although Hitler of course wanted Germany to win as many medals as possible his biggest goal was a well run event that showed off a friendly Germany to the world. He got exactly that. Not sure how much damage a boycott would have done to him (possibly none) but in hindsight it would have been better than basically endorsing and promoting him, which is what happened. As for right now depends on what happens over the next few years. If Russia has troops in Ukraine openly fighting Ukrainian troops then I would support a boycott, even if it were just the US.
The question to me is, if the Ukraine qualifies, and the Russians still have a presence in their East, will they boycott?
It can be argued that the 1936 Olympics in Berlin actually legitimized the Nazi regime, which is what Hitler intended from the beginning. The tradition of the Olympic torch relay was first conceived and introduced for the Berlin Olympics and the first one was filmed for Riefenstahl's propaganda film Olympia. A lot of the opening ceremonies that are considered staples today came out of the '36 games.
Depends if others do. You could argue their presence in Russia as a focus for international attention would be more of an embarrassment to Putin then choosing not to go, if everyone else still does.
The Qatar labor conditions are truly appalling, and I will have to think very hard about whether I will even watch the matches. Obviously as a hard-core fan, it will be hard not to watch at least any matches that involve the US.
I certainly won't go. I saw something where people were boycotting even watching on TV, I'd really like to say I'd do that, but I probably wont.
Do these recent digital cable/satellite receivers record/transmit view info to a ratings entity. I know if the past you needed a Nielson box to record ratings. If that is still the case, go ahead and watch. If you are a ratings household, watch somewhere else.
A boycott would be dumb, but an alternative WC would be awesome. Cull off as many of the countries as you could lure and host it here, or in Europe - that's the way to do it, actually: An EU World Cup. Rules: No home team ever. Finals in Lichtenstein or England or some other place that there is not chance of the home team making the finals. Europe needs the money and their federations and teams would support it. Heck, do it for Russia and Qatar. Northern Euro WC and southern Euro WC. I'm willing to spearhead. $100 bucks a day plus expenses. PM me.