Gianni Infantino loses the plot (WC 2002 Edition)

LordSpud

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Melissa Reddy just gave a good response on Sky Sports about it. I'm warming to her nowadays... still cant stand her voice though.
 

cyberman

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Most of Europe is trying to put things right. FIFA has done bugger all about racism, homophobia etc. They pay lip service but when an incident happens they do next to nothing.
To be fair the UK aren’t. Look at Northern Ireland and the massacre of their own citizens that the UK want to forgive and forget in 2022 never mind the role they played in it themselves
 

EngimaMK

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Well the UK has only just voted for Brexit largely driven by a desire to keep foreigners out, so that’s hardly the contrite humility of former colonisers I would say.
Have you seen the results of the latest census? People are perfectly within their rights to want controlled migration whatever the hell you think about it
 

Rozay

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Except there is a difference here. Trying to stop migrants coming to Europe to have a better life has many of its own negatives, especially in the way that they are barred being dangerous and inhumane. But I’m not sure how a policy to control immigration has anything to do with humility of human rights abuses to migrants? However, can’t really compare it to what Qatar is doing. Allowing them in, promise of a better life, taking passports, offering horrific living conditions and working conditions, and all the while reaping the financial and developmental rewards of their hard work. Both might be bad but let’s not assume they’re the same.
Of course, I’m not presenting an exact alternative scenario as there isn’t one. My response was to the inference that ‘most of Europe is trying to out things right’ which was a bit of a broad sweep I think - Brexit highlights a lot of the sentiment that exists today - people haven’t necessarily moved on as much as you may think from their own shortcomings. Which are different to the Qataris shortcomings so the comparison is not exact, but Infantino drew reference to the shortcomings of Europe specifically. And we all know what they were. As I said, Brexit shows that it’s not necessarily something that was ‘all in the past, let’s not talk about that anymore (conveniently)’. The British people showed themselves just the other day.
 

DomesticTadpole

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To be fair the UK aren’t. Look at Northern Ireland and the massacre of their own citizens that the UK want to forgive and forget in 2022 never mind the role they played in it themselves
Are you talking about the general public or the government.
 

Rozay

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Have you seen the results of the latest census? People are perfectly within their rights to want controlled migration whatever the hell you think about it
As were the countries colonised by Britain but here we are.

And more than 60% of the country now cede that Brexit was a mistake. But a mistake born out of what?
 

DomesticTadpole

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Of course, I’m not presenting an exact alternative scenario as there isn’t one. My response was to the inference that ‘most of Europe is trying to out things right’ which was a bit of a broad sweep I think - Brexit highlights a lot of the sentiment that exists today - people haven’t necessarily moved on as much as you may think from their own shortcomings. Which are different to the Qataris shortcomings so the comparison is not exact, but Infantino drew reference to the shortcomings of Europe specifically. And we all know what they were. As I said, Brexit shows that it’s not necessarily something that was ‘all in the past, let’s not talk about that anymore (conveniently)’. The British people showed themselves just the other day.
I am not against immigration, just that there should be a safe way of doing it, so they are not being put at risk by criminals who don't care if they live or die. I didn't agree with Brexit either.
 

DomesticTadpole

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Consecutive Governments who are voted in by the people.
You say are voted in by the people. Blair was a Tory in disguise. The Tories mostly get in because of apathy. The voting turnouts here are atrocious. People moan and groan but do not vote to change anything. You will always have problems when a country is run by ex-public schoolboys detached from reality.
 

giorno

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Politics and related topics should be entirely separate from football.
They can't be, so long as football is played by actual humans, in actual human built stadiums, in human cities, in human countries
 

Rozay

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I am not against immigration, just that there should be a safe way of doing it, so they are not being put at risk by criminals who don't care if they live or die. I didn't agree with Brexit either.
I don’t disagree with you, but then you were not exactly an example of the brexiteer I was necessarily referring to. Many were interviewed and asked of their reasoning and let’s just say they clearly hadn’t evolved as much as many Brits would think we have as a people.
 

cyberman

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You say are voted in by the people. Blair was a Tory in disguise. The Tories mostly get in because of apathy. The voting turnouts here are atrocious. People moan and groan but do not vote to change anything. You will always have problems when a country is run by ex-public schoolboys detached from reality.
But it’s decades and decades of it, Google soldier F and the move to not prosecute our veterans when these veterans are either firing on a peaceful protest or a mentally challenged man who is running away in the back. The government literally armed parlimilitaries to kill their own citizens with a corrupt police force that was so brazen that it had to be disbanded.
NI kind of explains itself and can’t be washed away when Justice is trying to be served but suddenly this evidence is lost that would have implicated collusion and that evidence is suddenly missing so that inquiry can’t proceed.
That’s not 50 years ago
 

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Certainly not wrong here.
It is not wrong but it is also textbook whataboutism and in no way an argument for a World Cup in a country where human (and especially migrant) rights are still being violated on a massive scale right now, instead of for the past 3000 years. Attacking everone else instead of recognizing the issues, I don't see how anyone could get behind that.
 

Rozay

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They can't be, so long as football is played by actual humans, in actual human built stadiums, in human cities, in human countries
All jobs are done by humans. The need for you to state your political position based on your work (as a sportsman no less) is unnecessary. I hate this inference that you ‘agree’ with anything you are not on the picket line about.
 

DomesticTadpole

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I don’t disagree with you, but then you were not exactly an example of the brexiteer I was necessarily referring to. Many were interviewed and asked of their reasoning and let’s just say they clearly hadn’t evolved as much as many Brits would think we have as a people.
I agree that Brexit attracted the racists. I also think apathy led to it happening. They wouldn't be daft enough to vote yes. Well it brought the racists out and they did. A bit like the US with Trump.
 

DomesticTadpole

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But it’s decades and decades of it, Google soldier F and the move to not prosecute our veterans when these veterans are either firing on a peaceful protest or a mentally challenged man who is running away in the back. The government literally armed parlimilitaries to kill their own citizens with a corrupt police force that was so brazen that it had to be disbanded.
NI kind of explains itself and can’t be washed away when Justice is trying to be served but suddenly this evidence is lost that would have implicated collusion and that evidence is suddenly missing so that inquiry can’t proceed.
That’s not 50 years ago
They should have been prosecuted. They will say it was orders from their superiors. As you say it probably implicated a lot of people higher up the chain who didn't want to be implicated, so lo and behold evidence will go missing. It happens time and time again in all sorts of situations. So a lot of attitudes need changing.
 

Rozay

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It is not wrong but it is also textbook whataboutism and in no way an argument for a World Cup in a country where human (and especially migrant) rights are still being violated on a massive scale right now, instead of for the past 3000 years. Attacking everone else instead of recognizing the issues, I don't see how anyone could get behind that.
‘Whataboutism’, as a principle, is far more valid than people like to imply it is. Things are often dismissed as whataboutism due to the human preference to point fingers rather than reflect. The reality is there are of course a number of issues in the world, but FIFA’s position is seemingly that ‘we run football games’ and it is not their job to fix them. Which it isn’t. Or Harry Kane’s, Gary Neville’s or anyone else who will be quizzed about it over the next few weeks.
 

giorno

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All jobs are done by humans. The need for you to state your political position based on your work (as a sportsman no less) is unnecessary. I hate this inference that you ‘agree’ with anything you are not on the picket line about.
But that's the way it is. Nothing can truly be free of politics, no matter how much we might that to not be the case. It's not about being on the picket line.
 
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As were the countries colonised by Britain but here we are.

And more than 60% of the country now cede that Brexit was a mistake. But a mistake born out of what?
There were polls after the Brexit vote asking leavers and remainers why they think the majority of voters voted leave.

Think it was about 60% of remainers who said “it was down to immigration” and about a third of leaver voters who said “immigration” (rest were sovereignty, making own laws, not sending money to EU, cultural identity, etc).
 

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Of course, I’m not presenting an exact alternative scenario as there isn’t one. My response was to the inference that ‘most of Europe is trying to out things right’ which was a bit of a broad sweep I think - Brexit highlights a lot of the sentiment that exists today - people haven’t necessarily moved on as much as you may think from their own shortcomings. Which are different to the Qataris shortcomings so the comparison is not exact, but Infantino drew reference to the shortcomings of Europe specifically. And we all know what they were. As I said, Brexit shows that it’s not necessarily something that was ‘all in the past, let’s not talk about that anymore (conveniently)’. The British people showed themselves just the other day.
But everyone has short comings. As individuals, as collectives. Is a world where one can’t call others out for wrongdoing simply because they may have other wrongdoings what we should be aspiring to?

But also, remember that if you protest to Qatars wrongdoings in Qatar you get dealt with. In Europe, there are plenty opportunities to challenge what government does. Everything they do is under scrutiny. Is it like that in Qatar? Europe isn’t perfect but it’s simply misleading to say “Europe should apologise for 3,000 years because of their past” instead of criticising Qatar. For it isn’t that Europe it’s perfect, it’s that as a society the opportunity to challenge wrongdoing is present. So it’s a bit misleading to say Europe has no right to criticise Qatar. If no one outside, then who inside? Difference in Europe is we can and will complain all day every day about what’s wrong and are somewhat given a platform to do so. That’s why, in my view, his statements are inappropriate.
 

Abizzz

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‘Whataboutism’, as a principle, is far more valid than people like to imply it is. Things are often dismissed as whataboutism due to the human preference to point fingers rather than reflect. The reality is there are of course a number of issues in the world, but FIFA’s position is seemingly that ‘we run football games’ and it is not their job to fix them. Which it isn’t. Or Harry Kane’s, Gary Neville’s or anyone else who will be quizzed about it over the next few weeks.
Yeah but it's also not their job to decide, judge or censor what other people talk about. They have sold their event to an autocratic country and now seem to think they can behave in the same way or expect others not to have an opinion about said country, autocrats or themselves.
 

Nou_Camp99

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So much corruption in the world. We get rid of one parasite at FIFA only to be replaced by another.

Clearly he's been paid a lot of bung to say this stuff and deflect from the actual truth.
 

DomesticTadpole

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There were polls after the Brexit vote asking leavers and remainers why they think the majority of voters voted leave.

Think it was about 60% of remainers who said “it was down to immigration” and about a third of leaver voters who said “immigration” (rest were sovereignty, making own laws, not sending money to EU, cultural identity, etc).
Can understand that, the EU has got too bloated and intrusive in unnecessary ways.
 

Ødegaard

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Infantino is just the mouthpiece of a corrupt organization trying to get the public to accept their corrupt decisions that has led to many deaths.
 

Mr Pigeon

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FIFA should just stop posting lazy tweets during Pride Month, and trying to be associated with anything involving equal rights from now on. They should just have billboards that say "We Like Money" because they don't fecking stand for anything else. They used to argue that football brings people together and is a positive to society. After Russia and Qatar they've got a fecking nerve if they think they can still play this card.

The fact that he and his organisation are actively backing a single nation to the detriment of millions of people around the world says it all. The majority of the nations competing in this international tournament are pulling in a completely different direction to the hosts but, yeah, it's still all about Diversity and Inclusion with FIFA isn't it? Is it feck. Be quiet if you want to speak up or we'll use strawman arguments to support the very rich people giving us lots of money...
 

Cascarino

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But everyone has short comings. As individuals, as collectives. Is a world where one can’t call others out for wrongdoing simply because they may have other wrongdoings what we should be aspiring to?
It's because a lot of these people are actually ok with the wrongdoings. Many of the people stating that the world cup shouldn't be criticised because of x, y and z, have some very questionable views, especially on the subject of LGBT rights.
 

Rozay

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Yeah but it's also not their job to decide, judge or censor what other people talk about. They have sold their event to an autocratic country and now seem to think they can behave in the same way or expect others not to have an opinion about said country, autocrats or themselves.
Which is fair. The issue is more the moral high ground that the West has long convinced itself that it is entitled to.
 

Rozay

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But everyone has short comings. As individuals, as collectives. Is a world where one can’t call others out for wrongdoing simply because they may have other wrongdoings what we should be aspiring to?

But also, remember that if you protest to Qatars wrongdoings in Qatar you get dealt with. In Europe, there are plenty opportunities to challenge what government does. Everything they do is under scrutiny. Is it like that in Qatar? Europe isn’t perfect but it’s simply misleading to say “Europe should apologise for 3,000 years because of their past” instead of criticising Qatar. For it isn’t that Europe it’s perfect, it’s that as a society the opportunity to challenge wrongdoing is present. So it’s a bit misleading to say Europe has no right to criticise Qatar. If no one outside, then who inside? Difference in Europe is we can and will complain all day every day about what’s wrong and are somewhat given a platform to do so. That’s why, in my view, his statements are inappropriate.
Good point.
 

Rozay

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But that's the way it is. Nothing can truly be free of politics, no matter how much we might that to not be the case. It's not about being on the picket line.
Qataris are probably thinking their methods are ‘the way it is’ too. Societies built on the backs of slaves pointing fingers at a World Cup built on the backs of migrant workers.

But of course, I digress here, and if I need to say, of course I don’t support such practice!
 

Adisa

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The idea you cannot criticise obvious human rights abuses unless you're are perfect is stupid nihilism.
 

massi83

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As big of a cnut as Blatter. Hope this guy falls of the stage in a hilarious manner soon.
 

Ainu

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‘Whataboutism’, as a principle, is far more valid than people like to imply it is. Things are often dismissed as whataboutism due to the human preference to point fingers rather than reflect. The reality is there are of course a number of issues in the world, but FIFA’s position is seemingly that ‘we run football games’ and it is not their job to fix them. Which it isn’t. Or Harry Kane’s, Gary Neville’s or anyone else who will be quizzed about it over the next few weeks.
I mean, that's exactly what whataboutism is. Also, no one is asking Fifa to fix the issues in the world, but there's a huge difference between not fixing them and contributing to them.
 

MalaysianRed7

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When someone reverts to whataboutism in an argument, deep inside, they know they are wrong. I won’t say that Qatar are a backwards nation because I don’t know a single Qatari person, but get this, they have a very backwards government. Europe’s own shortcomings, albeit very prominent themselves, do not change that.

Nevertheless, I will still be watching the World Cup. I am a football fan - I’d watch it if it was played in North Korea too.
 

Rozay

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The idea you cannot criticise obvious human rights abuses unless you're are perfect is stupid nihilism.
The favourable wording of ‘unless you are perfect’ is also highly convenient.

We can all mask our own human rights failings as ‘hey, I’m not perfect’. Even Qataris. No you’re not perfect, pretty far from it.