Boycott The Qatar World Cup?

Sorry but Fearless already tried that in the Palestine thread, you'll have to try a new one. People can criticize governments without being racist, you know?
Criticising governments is absolutely not racist and I for one agree that some of their conduct is outrageous. However, the selective outrage is where you spot the racist slant.
 
:boring:

His points are valid but the hypocrisy surrounding it reek of a phobia for anything that comes from the Middle East (an offshoot of Islamaphobia really).

Being morally outraged about the code of ethics - or lack thereof - in certain parts of the world, yet being sponsored by/wearing shirts emblazoned with the insignia of corporations profiteering off of sweatshops, practically starving local communities (see a very popular cola drinks behaviour in India) is very in vogue these days, particularly on this forum.

I'm sure those of you raucously applauding him sleep much easier knowing you're of such sound character, while at the same time being passive racists.
Cantona was the face of NIKE for many years, despite this

https://www.newidea.com.au/nike-sweatshops-the-truth-about-the-nike-factory-scandal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_sweatshops
 
See my post.
Ah, gotcha, so you can't back it up. You're just calling people you've never met racists because they're displaying what is, for you, selective outrage. Despite having no idea of their political or social views outside of this forum. Cool.
 
Criticising governments is absolutely not racist and I for one agree that some of their conduct is outrageous. However, the selective outrage is where you spot the racist slant.

In a thread about Cantona's statement about Qatar's WC where did you expect the outrage go towards?
 
Ah, gotcha, so you can't back it up. You're just calling people you've never met racists because they're displaying what is, for you, selective outrage. Despite having no idea of their political or social views outside of this forum. Cool.
Well, if you read the entire post it's pretty clear that I'm on about those who ARE selectively outraged.

If there are those who aren't calling for a boycott or making a point about this, just as they haven't for other sporting events, fair enough. And if there are those who make a point of pointing out this sorts of humanitarian violations across the board (to the best of their ability), again, fair enough.
 
In a thread about Cantona's statement about Qatar's WC where did you expect the outrage go towards?
Possibly at Cantona? For having been the face of a corporation that is responsible for decades of humanitarian violations and yet having the nerve to take some moral high ground here.
 
Well, if you read the entire post it's pretty clear that I'm on about those who ARE selectively outraged.

If there are those who aren't calling for a boycott or making a point about this, just as they haven't for other sporting events, fair enough. And if there are those who make a point of pointing out this sorts of humanitarian violations across the board (to the best of their ability), again, fair enough.
But, again, you have no idea whether people are being selectively outraged as your basing your judgment solely on your interactions with them on the threads in this forum. Having never met them or spoken to them. Fair enough, if someone has said something racist then yes, call them a racist. Calling people that you don't know racist for exhibiting behaviour that you haven't even witnessed, though, is shitty and to be honest I think you should be ashamed.
 
Possibly at Cantona? For having been the face of a corporation that is responsible for decades of humanitarian violations and yet having the nerve to take some moral high ground here.

You can read my posts in the thread about Beckham. If you open a thread about Cantona and other famous people helping whitewash bad behavior from governments and companies, I promise I'll be there criticizing them.
 
But, again, you have no idea whether people are being selectively outraged as your basing your judgment solely on your interactions with them on the threads in this forum. Having never met them or spoken to them. Fair enough, if someone has said something racist then yes, call them a racist. Calling people that you don't know racist for exhibiting behaviour that you haven't even witnessed, though, is shitty and to be honest I think you should be ashamed.
I don't remember singling anyone out. End of the day, if the shoe fits...
 
You can read my posts in the thread about Beckham. If you open a thread about Cantona and other famous people helping whitewash bad behavior from governments and companies, I promise I'll be there criticizing them.
Fair play to you. And my point wasn't at a particular individual, rather to those who display this selective outrage, which let's be honest, does exist. If that's not you, great stuff.
 
I don't remember singling anyone out. End of the day, if the shoe fits...
No, you didn't single anyone out. But again, you were accusing members of the forum of being passive racists so my comment stands. As I said, if you've witnessed racist behaviour here then that's disgraceful and you should report but if you're calling people racist for actions that you've not witnessed, again, that's shitty. Nice non sequitur to end on, btw. Utterly meaningless but you could almost fool people into thinking it was clever.
 
Fair play to you. And my point wasn't at a particular individual, rather to those who display this selective outrage, which let's be honest, does exist. If that's not you, great stuff.

I confess I haven't read the whole thread, I read the first page and could imagine what was being said. Can you quote an example of what you mean?
 
I confess I haven't read the whole thread, I read the first page and could imagine what was being said. Can you quote an example of what you mean?
The great thing about this for @RC89 is it's really tricky to disprove selective outrage, because the accusation relies on a lack of outrage at other things that @RC89 would consider suitable topics for outrage. All this despite the fact that @RC89 is basing this judgment solely on incredibly limited interactions with people he's never met on a forum. But yeah...racists.
 
No, you didn't single anyone out. But again, you were accusing members of the forum of being passive racists so my comment stands. As I said, if you've witnessed racist behaviour here then that's disgraceful and you should report but if you're calling people racist for actions that you've not witnessed, again, that's shitty. Nice non sequitur to end on, btw. Utterly meaningless but you could almost fool people into thinking it was clever.
You're right. Let me rephrase my last point.
 
Don't just boycott the Qatar WC, boycott International football full stop. I am personally fed up with all the stops in a season as it is and the absolutely dire games you get constantly.

In my opinion, boycott it all.

Even the nations league? :lol:
 
I'm still not seeing where the hypocrisy is? I condemn human rights abuses wherever I see them, regardless of the perpetrator. So how can that be hypocrisy?

Not you but some people roll their eyes at certain criticism that hits too close to home.

Maybe some of the Brits on here can wonder why exactly these immigrant workers are so desperate to work in such conditions from countries like India Bangladesh and Pakistan. I wonder why
 
Nah, I'll be watching

Not sure how well it will transfer to the screens though in terms of atmosphere and how many fans from around the world will actually go to make it as good as others. I hope it doesn't feel desolate like that Europa final with Chelsea and Arsenal in Baku.
 
White mans entitlement. How dare Qatar a middle eastern country host the football World Cup? They have no footballing culture? they do not get drunk and beat up passersby or opposing fans. They do not make monkey noises or throw bananas at black players. They do not go invading and bombing other countries. Yes boycott them because a white nations lost to them the chance to host it.
Yes. The working conditions of some of the workers are pathetic but that is not the reason why a lot of British people are upset about it. It is all about their entitlement.
 
White mans entitlement. How dare Qatar a middle eastern country host the football World Cup? They have no footballing culture? they do not get drunk and beat up passersby or opposing fans. They do not make monkey noises or throw bananas at black players. They do not go invading and bombing other countries. Yes boycott them because a white nations lost to them the chance to host it.
Yes. The working conditions of some of the workers are pathetic but that is not the reason why a lot of British people are upset about it. It is all about their entitlement.
Bullshit, South Africa hosted a world cup and nobody was up in arms over a majority black country hosting it. Japan and South Korea have hosted a world cup and nobody was up in arms about it. People were uneasy about Russia hosting which is a white country.

People aren't critical of this world cup because its being hosted by a middle-eastern country, they're critical of a regime which exploits and kills workers for a month of football in order to whitewash their global image.
 
White mans entitlement. How dare Qatar a middle eastern country host the football World Cup? They have no footballing culture? they do not get drunk and beat up passersby or opposing fans. They do not make monkey noises or throw bananas at black players. They do not go invading and bombing other countries. Yes boycott them because a white nations lost to them the chance to host it.
Yes. The working conditions of some of the workers are pathetic but that is not the reason why a lot of British people are upset about it. It is all about their entitlement.
I'm so pleased that Foxbatt is here to tell me why I'm upset about this World Cup. Having Foxbatt thinking for me makes things so much easier.
 
Any death is unfortunate and sad, but the number is manipulated by the guardian report for a reason, in the headline they failed to mention that the numbers of deaths are for workers passing away from any cause not only deaths in in construction sites, deaths from natural causes like heart attacks or even road accidents. In fact from 2m workers in Qatar a third is working in a world cup/ infra structure related job. The report states that the deaths are taken for workers from 5 Asian countries. For example India have 500,000 workers in Qatar and reported the death of 2711 Indian workers in Qatar in the period of 10 years, that is about 271 deaths per 500,000 per year

here is what the indian government said about the numbers:



https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33019838

In the UK dies 0.74 person per 1000 between the age of 20-44 that means for 500,000 people it is 370 person per year (The number is off course higher for only males) which is higher than the numbers in Qatar itself.

This is the guardian report

https://www.theguardian.com/global-...grant-worker-deaths-qatar-fifa-world-cup-2022
Thanks for this. That 6500 number sounded really dodgy all along.

Of course, it's still awful if even 1 life was lost due to labour malpractices
 
As for the 2012 Olympics, I must have missed all of the migrant labourer deaths and human rights abuses perpetrated to make that happen. Can you link me to that? Or are you saying that the UK should have been allowed to host the Olympics because of foreign policy decisions totally unrelated to the games?
Another fancy name for bringing hell on millions of civilians. When the horrendous human rights abuses are committed by our beloved western democratic regimes, it is no problem. Let's just call it "foreign policy decisions" and move on. We are still holier than thou.

The construction sector in England causes around 61,000 injuries each year. I have no idea how many migrant laborers got hurt in the preparation of that specific event. And I believe most of the infrastructure would have been ready before the decision taken in 2005.

The undocumented migrant working at the building sites are just that. "Undocumented". Even though it is illegal to employ them, the state knows all about them being exploited all around the UK. And the response is definitely not to provide them with protection. The state is actually the greatest threat to their wellbeing.


Glad to see that you acknowledge condemning Qatar is the right thing to do, though. That's a start.
Why would you assume otherwise? And if it is a start, what is the next step in the right direction, shoul I now burry my head in the sand when it comes to Western Countries abusing human rights ?

And just for context I come from a part of the world that has had people tortured and children killed by the military actions of a Western Power. And on a personal level my family has lost a young member in an atrocity.
I can't even imagine that. Thank you for sharing it. But I still disagree with you saying it is off-topic. When the awful HR record of Qatar is being used to disqualify it as a WC host, it is logical to bring up the HR record of the other hosting candidates.


People aren't critical of this world cup because its being hosted by a middle-eastern country, they're critical of a regime which exploits and kills workers for a month of football in order to whitewash their global image.
The Qatari regime, as despicable as it is, didn't kill people for a month of sports. The regime probably bribed FIFA to win. The regime then handed out massive contracts of construction to some European MNCs as explained before. If you are after a serious discussion I refer you to this.

Why are you excluding rights "not within" the countries when the discussion regards "human rights". It seems extremely awkward to promote the US as the beacon of freedom and righteousness because the US only starves kids to death in other places.



About 6500 people died over a period of 11 years in working accidents related to the constructions sites. Fifa didn't kill these people. The foreign firms (Mostly European, one of them Chinese) constructing these stadiums did of course take advantage of the system in place that doesn't protect workers, and this continuing negligeance caused about 600 death/year. It might be disproportionate but people do die, and quite often in construction sites.
There are circa 2,3 million death caused by work accidents, worldwide, every year. Are you boycotting the businesses related to these deaths?

This issue is definitely no less complex than the ongoing war crimes that both the US and the UK are involved in right now. But you've managed to oversimplify it and summarise it in "6500 people dying to host a tournament",

You can talk all you want about Qatar's ties to terrorist Islamist groups, I never pretended that the regime of Qatar was a decent one, or worthy of any respect. But as another poster said, it is laughable that you are trying to make it sound worse than the actual masters (The US).


The ruling family of Qatar didn't build anything. The construction of the stadiums is operated by private firms. Most of these firms are western companies. The companies are free to employ who they want as long as they obey the Qatari laws.

While it is true that both immigration law and the Labor Codes in Qatar are worthless and do not warrant any real protection, the firms awarded these projects could have treated their workers in a dignified manner. In fact, they did provide first-class accommodations and a very comfortable working environment to the European engineers recruited for these projects.

Then of course, they didn't bother to protect the poor migrant workers. These companies acted just like the Tech giants (HP, Apple..), clothing brands (Nike, Zara..) that use sweatshops in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China in order to maximize profit, ignoring all the risks incurred by workers (many of them children by the way) at their factories/construction sites.
 
The Qatari regime, as despicable as it is, didn't kill people for a month of sports. The regime probably bribed FIFA to win. The regime then handed out massive contracts of construction to some European MNCs as explained before. If you are after a serious discussion I refer you to this.
It happened in their jurisdiction. Furthermore the alleged bribing is another reason not to get on board with this world cup. The poster who is was responding to was claiming people don't like it because Qatar is a Middle-Eastern country.
 
It happened in their jurisdiction. Furthermore the alleged bribing is another reason not to get on board with this world cup. The poster who is was responding to was claiming people don't like it because Qatar is a Middle-Eastern country.

Absolutely. Plus it was a European country who lost to Qatar. Yes the workers are exploited and it has been documented to be so too. But it's a lot better than bombing the hell out of a country and destroying that country under false premises just because you want to steal their oil.
 
It happened in their jurisdiction. Furthermore the alleged bribing is another reason not to get on board with this world cup.
What you wrote is still inaccurate. There are no proofs that people were deliberately killed by the European firms building these stadiums.

Furthermore the alleged bribing is another reason not to get on board with this world cup.
Does this argument also applies to Trump’s public threats and alleged backdoor threats+ bribes to the voting countries that ended up winning the US the 2026 edition?
 
As much as I dislike big corporations and stand appalled by conditions of NIKE workers, there’s a giant difference in being a face of one of the two main football equipment brands in the 10s or so and in holding / supporting a World Cup in a country known for sacrificing thousands of lives to build stadiums in 2022. I fully support all being vocal in their boycott of Qatar WC and think a strong reaction from European countries (I have little hope many other states would care as much) could have a resounding effect.
 
The argument it shouldn't be held in Qatar because it causes inconvenience for fans of leagues in other parts of the world is nothing short of absurd.

It is after all called the "World" Cup, the fact it's only taking place in the Middle East almost 100 years after the competition originated is quite telling.

By all means boycott it but don't be a hypocrite about it. Boycott the Premier League too where one club, Newcastle, has been allowed to be owned by a state with a much worse human rights record than Qatar.

The Premier League received $500 million from the Qatari-owned Bein Sports to show games in the Middle East, so it's okay to turn a blind eye to what's going on as the long as the money is coming into the PL but not when they are hosting a tournament over there?

Boycott the Champions League where a club owned by the Qatari state, PSG, is allowed to be used for sportswashing.

Of course, that won't happen will it?

If you start cherry-picking what's right and wrong then it's a slippery slope I am afraid.
 
The argument it shouldn't be held in Qatar because it causes inconvenience for fans of leagues in other parts of the world is nothing short of absurd.

It is after all called the "World" Cup, the fact it's only taking place in the Middle East almost 100 years after the competition originated is quite telling.

By all means boycott it but don't be a hypocrite about it. Boycott the Premier League too where one club, Newcastle, has been allowed to be owned by a state with a much worse human rights record than Qatar.

The Premier League received $500 million from the Qatari-owned Bein Sports to show games in the Middle East, so it's okay to turn a blind eye to what's going on as the long as the money is coming into the PL but not when they are hosting a tournament over there?

Boycott the Champions League where a club owned by the Qatari state, PSG, is allowed to be used for sportswashing.

Of course, that won't happen will it?

If you start cherry-picking what's right and wrong then it's a slippery slope I am afraid.
I don’t even think it’s very hypocritical, rather human, to take a stand against a thing immoral and inconvenient compared to something immoral but very convenient / entertaining.
 
The argument it shouldn't be held in Qatar because it causes inconvenience for fans of leagues in other parts of the world is nothing short of absurd.

It is after all called the "World" Cup, the fact it's only taking place in the Middle East almost 100 years after the competition originated is quite telling.

By all means boycott it but don't be a hypocrite about it. Boycott the Premier League too where one club, Newcastle, has been allowed to be owned by a state with a much worse human rights record than Qatar.

The Premier League received $500 million from the Qatari-owned Bein Sports to show games in the Middle East, so it's okay to turn a blind eye to what's going on as the long as the money is coming into the PL but not when they are hosting a tournament over there?

Boycott the Champions League where a club owned by the Qatari state, PSG, is allowed to be used for sportswashing.

Of course, that won't happen will it?

If you start cherry-picking what's right and wrong then it's a slippery slope I am afraid.

I think almost everybody hates what football is becoming with the Citys and now Newcastles of the world getting involved, but there is a difference here. The Premier League and Champions Leagues are huge competitions that have allowed a virus to creep into their ranks, whereas with the World Cup in Qatar the tournament practically IS the virus.
 
Or are you saying that the UK should have been allowed to host the Olympics because of foreign policy decisions totally unrelated to the games?
So invasion of another country and causing the suffering of millions of innocent people is just a foreign policy decision to you. It was not worth the discussion with you as it is obvious now what your views represent.
 
As much as I dislike big corporations and stand appalled by conditions of NIKE workers, there’s a giant difference in being a face of one of the two main football equipment brands in the 10s or so and in holding / supporting a World Cup in a country known for sacrificing thousands of lives to build stadiums in 2022. I fully support all being vocal in their boycott of Qatar WC and think a strong reaction from European countries (I have little hope many other states would care as much) could have a resounding effect.
Can you back up your accusation?
 
I think almost everybody hates what football is becoming with the Citys and now Newcastles of the world getting involved, but there is a difference here. The Premier League and Champions Leagues are huge competitions that have allowed a virus to creep into their ranks, whereas with the World Cup in Qatar the tournament practically IS the virus.

I agree largely with all your points, but the likes of the next World Cup will go ahead and be a massive success because those defending it will point to the corruption and sleaze that has gone unchecked elsewhere - why should they be the only ones held accountable?

Also where are the calls for European teams to boycott the tournament? If anything, suggestions of protest are limited to internet forums, there's more chance of United getting their act together this season and winning something than there is of any kind of protest that will make a difference.

The Premier League itself is a virus that was created so a few clubs, including ourselves, could get very, very rich at the expense of the fans.

Now that attitude is reaching a logical phase where it has become so lucrative that cash rich states are investing in it.

You can't complain about a tournament being held in a certain part of the world, with a horrific human rights record, when there are teams in the same league you are attending regularly/ paying subscriptions to watch on television that are owned by those very same regimes who you are directly contributing to when you give the likes of Sky your money.
 
I agree largely with all your points, but the likes of the next World Cup will go ahead and be a massive success because those defending it will point to the corruption and sleaze that has gone unchecked elsewhere - why should they be the only ones held accountable?

Also where are the calls for European teams to boycott the tournament? If anything, suggestions of protest are limited to internet forums, there's more chance of United getting their act together this season and winning something than there is of any kind of protest that will make a difference.

The Premier League itself is a virus that was created so a few clubs, including ourselves, could get very, very rich at the expense of the fans.

Now that attitude is reaching a logical phase where it has become so lucrative that cash rich states are investing in it.

You can't complain about a tournament being held in a certain part of the world, with a horrific human rights record, when there are teams in the same league you are attending regularly/ paying subscriptions to watch on television that are owned by those very same regimes who you are directly contributing to when you give the likes of Sky your money.

See my last post.

If i pay money watch the PL, I am contributing to promoting (for the sake of argument) 2 murderous regimes in City and Newcastle out of 20. 10%.

If i watch the Qatar World Cup I am contributing to the promotion of 1 murderous regime out of 1. 100%.

I don't like any of it but one is clearly worse than the other here.