I think you're spot on with the hypocritical comments, both about fans performing mental gymnastics and you yourself being a hypocrite, as we all are. In your/everybody's defence, on the personal front we are all constantly practicing cognitive dissonance on some level, unavoidable in the world we live in sadly.
All or nothing as you mention in your post is impossible, we would all be walking around in the nip starving to death if we went for 'all'. Is it worth looking the other way for football though? I am genuinely gutted that (assuming Qatar take over) the last game of football I'll ever really care about will be an absolute pasting by your lot at Wembley. Find it staggering that any Utd fan would welcome this takeover. Given what we enjoyed under Fergie, where would the joy be in getting back to the top on the back of industrial level oppression?
This isn't a dig btw, I am long time lurker but infrequently log-in and think you're a quality poster. I also understand why City fans would welcome it given the afore mentioned Fergie years.
This is a perfectly fair comment not a dig at all. My feelings on City are genuinely mixed but the truth is I can't walk away. In an ideal world we wouldn't be owned by who we are but sadly we are. But City are still City and will be City long after Abu Dhabi are gone, I've got no issue with following us in the conference or at the top. United will always be United, you've been through 20 years of leeches and it kinda sucks whats gonna follow but just remember that the club will be there long after the ownership.
With regards City the club is a huge part of my life and a big bond I share with my mother and her side of the family (my dad being Irish is of course a United fan, thank God not a Pool fan), even if my mother only really got into football to wind up my dad. No owners are gonna take that from me nor should I let them. The same will apply to you guys.
When I say root and branch I don't think its possible globablly but is it possible for Fifa/Uefa with football to be consistent. Something like.
"Right all ownership is going to be dealt with based on proper fit and proper persons tests not the nonsense we have now!"
"Gear manufacturers using sweatshops are going to have to prove they've gotten with the times to be allowed to have their logo's on football gear".
"If we're outlawing questionable middle Eastern owners we also have to outlaw questionable middle eastern sponsorship" for example how can you tell UAE they can't own a club but allow the sponsorship of the Emirates Stadium. It reeks of hypocrisy. "You're cnuts and murderers and can't own x, but we'll happily take your money and plaster you on our stadiums, shirts, stores etc..."
If we're banning ME sponsorship based on HR records we have to look at tech giants (not that its an issue in England as far as I know).
Basically football needs to go all in, it can't draw a line or it reeks. Like I said imagine rocking up to City with a banner about human rights when 10% of you ownership is human rights abusing Adidas, it reeks of fan hypocrisy. Even if it fecked City over I'd be all for cleaning football, but saying Abu Dhabi can't own a club but can sponsor a stadium or shirt, it just makes zero sense. Its the same blood money and if its in, its in or out its out (it should be out)