Why Is the World Cup More Exciting to the Masses Than World Politics? Hamid Dabashi - Al Jazeera
go to original July 8, 2014

Take a look at the headlines. Iraq is on the verge of self-destruction. An international gang of mercenaries has just established a "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria. Ukraine is in deep turmoil. In Egypt, a military coup has just staged a ridiculous election and jailed journalists to hide its atrocities. In Afghanistan, yet another presidential election is publicly challenged. In Palestine, Israelis are again out on a rampage, killing innocent people under their military occupation, while African immigrants to the Jewish state have appealed to the UN to save them from abuse. In the US, the memo justifying drone killing has been released, with the habitual legalese gobbledygook.  

All these exceptionally important - and even world-historic - events happened at a time when people around the world were far more interested in the World Cup than in political news. It brings to mind an old cartoon (above) in which US military advisors tell US President George W Bush: "We could invade Iran right now and nobody would notice."

So, why is that?

Brazil is in deep financial crisis. FIFA is a notoriously corrupt institution. Qatar is under the spotlight for its guest labor practices as it prepares to host the 2022 World Cup. The scandal of trafficked players, particularly from Africa to Europe, is common knowledge.

"They come to Europe to play for AC Milan or Paris St-Germain," as one Guardian article put it, "but the reality for many talented young African footballers, children not much older than nine, is that they will find themselves selling fake handbags on the streets."

These and many other scandals have hit soccer enthusiasts, and yet the World Cup goes on triumphantly. Why?

Read the rest at Al Jazeera

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