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[Football] Who’s not watching the World Cup?



Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
I agree with you that this is a golden opportunity to draw attention to Qatars abhorrent ways.

The list of supporting companies should be highlighted and avoided as much as possible.

Anyone actually going to Qatar should hang their head in shame. You are the greatest obstacle to showing the worlds distaste at this countries regime. A regime that treats homo-sexuality as a crime punishable at times with death. A regime that has little or no respect for 50 per cent of the worlds population ( females ). A country where a foreigners life is worthless. Absolutely disgusting, that any football supporter would actually go there.
If the world feels a distaste over the Qatar regime, there is a pretty simple solution: stop buying their shit.

Until the 1950s, Qatar was a tribal country of 30-40k fishermen and illiterate sheepshaggers (well, camels perhaps) and you can dig like a moron to try find out if they had any laws or anyone carrying out punishments etc. When the petrol industry found good stuff in the desert, the UK moved some 50k people (English and Indian mostly) over there to work and the country slowly started to modernise - they no longer had to get shipments of water from Bahrain, electricity and air conditioning started to be a thing and so on.

Not that the emir gave much of a shit. He nodded to British proposals about building some schools and stuff and then went back into his palace to count the petrol money. The average Qatari national still seemed to be doing what they've always done - fishing, pearl hunting and playing with those nice camels.

The Brits left (at least their responsibilites; they did not mind keep cashing in), the Emir was thrown out by his son (or nephew or something) who thought he could make some more quid out of the whole oil thingie and invited the yanks and the saudis and whatnot to come to the party. The Qatari nationals going about their shit suited him well, more money for him if his people wasn't educated and demanding liberties and better living standards.

In the 1990s some of the Al Thani family thought "well its a little bit of a pity that our own people are stuck in the 1800's while the foreigners are building this country" so they threw out the Emir in 1995 or 1996 (or something like that, don't remember exactly). The new bloke was more development-oriented - they started to open up to the world. Both with some western ideas - somewhat 'free' press and some places where you could have a beer and stuff - and some ideas from neighbours who had successfully kept their power, such as the Saudis, meaning harsher penalties, tougher laws and actual execution of these laws.

This approach worked well for them. Population since 1995 is up from around 400k to 2.8m today, country is filled with skyskrapers and shit and not many are fishing in the ocean or shagging camels and the standards of living have skyrocketed.

That the new bloke taking over in the 90s liked to flog homosexuals and infidels and what not wasn't seen as a problem by anyone as long as Qatar was a quiet desert country where you could make oil/gas and money. Now when they want political influence that represents their economical importance, people think it is a problem. Our states & governments however clearly doesn't give a shit: as long as Qatar is providing them with stuff, they can flog gay people night and day.

If our governments and corporations didn't feel that way, and boycotted Qatari resources, Qatar would not have the competence or manpower to keep the country going - it would revert into a camelshagging fisherman country, and the locals would not have it (as they're accustomed to better life standards now) and would get rid of the Al Thani family for good.

The bloke taking over in 2013 (or something) also was a big fan of the whole gay-flogging stuff but less so with the free press stuff his predecessor thought would be nice... and no one except for liberal powerless westerners give a shit.

The problem is not the Qatari regime itself, but those who make it successful and want to retain the status quo because it is profitable.
This includes: the Qatari nationals (great improvement in standards and finances), the west (plenty of American and other western oil companies profiting), the Asians (Japan, China, Korea etc. are the main ones importing from Qatar), Russia (exporting stuff to Qatar), Turkey (exchanging military stuff and funding some terrorism together)... the only ones a bit grumpy are, occasionally, the neighbouring states.

Are we supposed to sit and mutter about the immoral Qataris in front of the televisions while our states and big business are doing the exact opposite thing?

I think if we want to change things in Qatar, we probably have to start questioning our own countries and businesses dealing with Qatar rather than to "show their regime" how unhappy we are about their lack of morals.
 




HalfaSeatOn

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2014
2,087
North West Sussex
WC should have been prevented from being granted to Qatar. I’d have been happy if our government made it illegal to be broadcast. Would never happen. I’ll watch it occasionally with a clear conscious.
 


herecomesaregular

We're in the pipe, 5 by 5
Oct 27, 2008
4,650
Still in Brighton
I am intrigued by it and hoping in some ways off the field it'll be a disaster for the Qataris with some inventive protests in the stands and on the pitch. Unlikely but hopeful. I would have loved it if we'd said at the beginning Nope, We (England) ain't going but that's not real-world. I'm going to watch it, particular attention to our players (although I watched Ali-J last WC and thought, well, he's seems anonymous and not cut out for the Premier League....). I'd actually go if i won a holiday trip or something because it's an odd part of the world and I'm always up for experiencing different cultures even those I strongly disagree with. But I wouldn't pay for it. As for avoiding the sponsors during the tourno I may well try that but I'm mostly tee-total and very healthy diet nowadays so I don't think they'll notice if I don't order pizza or drink piss-beer. I've had strong words with my Hisense hob though and will try to avoid using it perhaps in December. Unfortunately, football really is the Beautiful Game so the draw is strong (hence the corruption and sportswashing). I just sincerely hope we don't win the worst WC ever.
 


Bryanw42

Active member
Nov 8, 2021
112
Epsom
Should really think about the language you use. Its not ridiculous, people have highlighted genuine conscientious reasons for not watching. You can disagree with them, but accept that we think differently to you, rather than be incendiary about it.

There's no positive in highlighting the tournament being in Qatar in relation to changing their laws, as it won't change Qatar's law on homosexuality, as it's tied up in the sharia law they govern under. You can already see our Government, in the form of Cleverley's statement, and FIFA's 'focus on the football' statement pandering to the regime, that politically, no pressure will come from that direction. Will a few hundred thousands people not watching make a difference? I doubt it, but then sitting back and meekly going along with it doesn't sit well with me either, so I've taken the decision not to watch it for the reasons I highlighted in my previous post.
Apologies if you find my tone harsh but i really think it will bring change, which I fully support. If people want to protest by not watching then that is their choice and sorry if it appeared that I am belittling them. My mood has improved since my visit to the Emirates and i can see more clearly now from both sides of the argument
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,953
Brighton
I have decided not to watch any of it. Not going to judge those that do. After all, it’s their game and it has been stolen.

However, I can’t support this decision by FIFA, nor the impact on so many innocent people, and I hope many more turn their back on it.
 




drew

Drew
NSC Patron
Oct 3, 2006
23,610
Burgess Hill
Should really think about the language you use. Its not ridiculous, people have highlighted genuine conscientious reasons for not watching. You can disagree with them, but accept that we think differently to you, rather than be incendiary about it.

There's no positive in highlighting the tournament being in Qatar in relation to changing their laws, as it won't change Qatar's law on homosexuality, as it's tied up in the sharia law they govern under. You can already see our Government, in the form of Cleverley's statement, and FIFA's 'focus on the football' statement pandering to the regime, that politically, no pressure will come from that direction. Will a few hundred thousands people not watching make a difference? I doubt it, but then sitting back and meekly going along with it doesn't sit well with me either, so I've taken the decision not to watch it for the reasons I highlighted in my previous post.
You accuse Bryanw43 of 'incendiary' language (which I'm not sure he did) and then accuse those of us that will be watching of 'sitting back and meekly going along' etc etc which I would suggest is far more incendiary. Just because some of us will be watching doesn't mean we endorse Qatar and their rules, just as watching Brighton in the late 80s early 90s didn't mean we endorsed the ownership of the club!!
 


Grizz

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 5, 2003
1,495
You accuse Bryanw43 of 'incendiary' language (which I'm not sure he did) and then accuse those of us that will be watching of 'sitting back and meekly going along' etc etc which I would suggest is far more incendiary. Just because some of us will be watching doesn't mean we endorse Qatar and their rules, just as watching Brighton in the late 80s early 90s didn't mean we endorsed the ownership of the club!

And I've said in previous posts it doesn't bother that others will watch it, each to their own, I was just annoyed by the tone of Bryan's post, it came across as dismissive in my head. Now I know he didn't mean it like that, that's all cool with me.
 








cheshunt seagull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,594
The whole thing feels totally wrong and my plans are not to watch it; not as a grand gesture but just as I won't be able to (and don't think I should) forget the context. If serious temptation comes it will be with the Ecuador games, much more so than with England.
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden








Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,526
The arse end of Hangleton
I suspect the "I'm not going to watch a kick" brigade might just be having a few sneaky peeks out of morbid interest if nothing else. Especially if England manage to negotiate a knockout round or 2.
So am I and I imagine many of the 'I'm not watching brigade' will be watching if England progress to the quarters then the semis'

Oh how wrong you both are. Won't be watching a minute of it, even if England get to the final.
 




Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,782
GOSBTS
E66D7E09-262F-4C70-99A8-2AB4D3AF2C2D.jpeg


FIFA Fan parks might be £11 a can of Budweiser … but water is cheaper than the Amex. Barber out !
 




pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
31,029
West, West, West Sussex
I will probably watch England games, but beyond that not many others. Although that is pretty much the same as every WC tbh. May take passing interest in matches featuring Albion players.
 


chaileyjem

#BarberIn
NSC Patron
Jun 27, 2012
14,612
RDZ said in the press conference yesterday that he was going to watch “nearly” every match.
From Tuesday week there are four every day starting at 10am.
 




jcdenton08

Offended Liver Sausage
NSC Patron
Oct 17, 2008
14,501
RDZ said in the press conference yesterday that he was going to watch “nearly” every match.
From Tuesday week there are four every day starting at 10am.
I’ll be watching every match too
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
RDZ said in the press conference yesterday that he was going to watch “nearly” every match.
From Tuesday week there are four every day starting at 10am.
I take it he is another bloke who could do without watching Australia vs Tunisia then
 


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