Surely you mean couldn't care less.
My point was that what may look like a mistake or a contradiction is just cultural development of natural language.
Another example is the British expression "It would be cheap at half the price"
No, it's not.
Could they?
The point is that it's so blatant for such little gain, it's still a game. I.e. if he is willing to do that so openly for such low stakes, imagine what he does behind closed doors when it matters.
FIFA, a largely European organization created by Europeans for a sport that Americans barely care about and in the center of multiple corruption scandals and controversies over the last few decades and you're really going to sit here and try to tell others that the real wakeup call was when Trump made a phone call to ask that a star player who by many respects shouldn't have received a red card over at best a technicality in the first place be reinstated for the good of sport and competition...?
And you're also going to claim that this "level of corruption" is something Vladimir Putin or Xi Jingping and their corrupt authoritarian regimes would never dream of attempting?
I guess Donald Trump's phone call was the real last straw, and something like, idk, 6,500 migrant workers in Qatar dying to construct World Cup facilities is just another day at the anti-corruption office? [1]
I'm going to assume you're being sarcastic...
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/23/r...
It's astounding that European governments would never do corrupt things. Totally never. And if they did, sorry they only draw the line at influencing FIFA.
FIFA was corrupt. Infantino took it on another level, making it massively more corrupt then before. Then he created a peace price which combined corruption with astonishing lack of self respect and mockery.
And then Trump called over the red card, which contrasted with everything before as yes another never seen before level of corruption.
But second, FIFA is not an European institution. It is worldwide org and non European members are large contributors to the corruption. The middle east and afrikan members do like it corrupt, it suits their political goals.
> And you're also going to claim that this "level of corruption" is something Vladimir Putin or Xi Jingping and their corrupt authoritarian regimes would never dream of attempting?
Honestly, it even seems so. Trying to directly influence a soccer match, publically changing rules while not even understanding them is a new level.
Moreover, there is no reason to think Trump is less corrupt then Putin or Xi. If anything, he is equally or more corrupt.
There are things worthwhile criticizing folks for. Donald Trump is corrupt. So is FIFA. So are numerous European countries and organizations. But equating Trump making this phone call to "some unheard level that Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin wouldn't dream of attempting" is absolutely absurd sensationalism that is, frankly, anti-intellectual, dishonest, and only serves to instigate flame wars and other such nonsense.
The corruption about who gets the championship and who rips of who is bad. Changing outcomes is entirely different thing.
> But equating Trump making this phone call to "some unheard level that Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin wouldn't dream of attempting" is absolutely absurd sensationalism
Neither Putin nor Xi would do that phone call. Nor would they proudly brag about making such phone call. That is fairly safe guess. It is not sensationalism. That is just safe guess based on those people previous publically known actions.
It is dishonest and anti-intelectual to pretend otherways, frankly. Putin killed more people in Ukraine. He is worst in that regard. But we are talking about who is more corrupt or who would be insecure enough to call to change red card.
> Putin killed more people in Ukraine. He is worst in that regard. But we are talking about who is more corrupt or who would be insecure enough to call to change red card.
You're adding an additional detail here that wasn't mentioned in the OP, but there is no doubt about it that both Xi and Vlad would do the same thing, or they might just have someone killed or their family threatened, or sure they might not care about FIFA but didn't Russia under Putin run a state sponsored doping program with his tiny ego and huge corruption orientation? But sure, yea, neither of these guys would ever do something as corrupt as call FIFA and encourage them to overcome a questionable at best call so therefore everyone in Europe is so outraged about Donald Trump and whatever.
This entire conversation and this statement about how all Europeans allegedly feel is nothing but sensationalism.
Yes Russia run doping program. It is not the only country with regular doping scandals. And yet, they did not had referee change result so that they player can go againts another team.
> therefore everyone in Europe is so outraged about Donald Trump and whatever.
And greenland. Dont forget greenland. And Ukraine, dont forget how USA took Putin side in negotiations. Or tried to blame it for missile shortage after Iran war. Which leads to oil prices. And trade war. And insults. And lies of epic proportions.
Most of Trumps corruption is Americas internal thing. He is enriching himself at the expense of his country. That is not something Europeans would watch that closely. But, they watch the world cup.
When did Donald Trump kill people over soccer? What are you talking about?
> Yes Russia run doping program. It is not the only country with regular doping scandals. And yet, they did not had referee change result so that they player can go againts another team.
Yes, the doping scandal is much worse.
> And greenland. Dont forget greenland.
The more people complain about it the more I'm starting to side with the US on this lol.
> And Ukraine, dont forget how USA took Putin side in negotiations.
Yep and don't forget how America is still assisting Ukraine today, we were the ones rushing missiles and supplies to Ukraine and shouting from the rooftops that an invasion was coming while the EU sent helmets, well-wishes cards, and European leaders continued to public state nothing was happening.
> Or tried to blame it for missile shortage after Iran war.
Blame what for missile shortages?
> Which leads to oil prices. And trade war. And insults. And lies of epic proportions.
Ok but none of that has anything to do with FIFA or whatever this nonsense OP is about.
> Most of Trumps corruption is Americas internal thing. He is enriching himself at the expense of his country. That is not something Europeans would watch that closely. But, they watch the world cup.
No, believe me, they watch it very closely. In fact, it's even more important than news in Europe.
> The more people complain about it the more I'm starting to side with the US on this lol.
Like what, people complain about USA trying to invade Greenland and therefore it is OK for US to do so? If people just let it happen, then you would be against it. But since they did not forgot in few months, you are pro-invasion?
Is that what you have in mind?
> we were the ones rushing missiles and supplies to Ukraine
USA is refusing to give missies EU literally paid for. USA stopped military assistance after Trump took power.
> EU sent helmets, well-wishes cards, and European leaders continued to public state nothing was happening.
You are lying. Majority of help is from European countries while USA tries to push Ukraine to unconditionally accept Russian demands.
It is so important, that many countries make it illegal to hide international football matches behind paywalls, specifically.
It is so important, that there are articles written about its importance on EU institutes websites. For example, this one reflects on Footballs importance in relation to the First, Second and Cold wars. https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/alerts/european-footb...
To see Trump so flagrantly manipulate it sends a cultural signal that is hard for those outside of Europe to see, and that by some can be seen as the cultural equivalent of the political threats Trump has made against NATO.
At this point, your average European Trump supporter/right wing populist needs only reminding of Trumps interference to get a complete positional change - that's how bad it is.
Sports is peak diversion from real issues, Whether Europe, US or India and so on. The countries can go to hell, people can drown in endless real problems. But if people can be smothered with sport entertainment so they ignore real things whats better than that.
In India whole country can become absolute crap. Worst on any social, economic indicator but as long free cricket broadcast is on TV and mobile, life is good.
But yeah, people got upset...
But somehow this was the fault of the US?
The European football institution is UEFA which has complained about things like this and is also trying to remove Infantino – but the rest of the world has been bribed enough to keep him on.
To not to sway too far away, well technically yes. However all 55 UEFA members threathened to quit FIFA after Infanito’s plan to privatise the World Cup. It was just last month. And we all know who is behind this.
I didn't know registering an entity in another place automatically changed the character of the people that run it. That's magic. Literally mind-control.
But maybe you're trying to make a No True Scotsman argument.
It has "international" right there in the name. The vast majority of its members are not "European" in any sense. Calling it "European" is offensive to those members and to the footballing world as a whole. It reeks of a colonial attitude.
I'll ask you again: what actually affects how an organization runs? The place that it's registered in, or the people in charge?
FIFA has to be registered somewhere for legal reasons. That doesn't make it of that place.
> But maybe you're trying to make a No True Scotsman argument.
If FIFA were registered in the Caymans would you call it a Caymanian organization?
Funny thing, I recently saw comment under Turkey cat video, saying something like
> Stray cats in live better than homeless in US.
What an ahistorical thing to say. Read more books, less comments under cat videos.
I know about dynasties expanding centuries some was prosperous others were not, same goes for European monarchies, amount of killing, abuse, looting done in colonies is staggering even though about most boast about how they conquered this and that.
> less comments under cat videos
I find cats interesting they have different personas kind of similar to humans than dogs who are people pleasing.
Aside from that world should be like this[1], where Chinese and Americans work together.
Needless to say trust is close to 0% throughout the population - even the right wing populists distance themselves from Trump - and this is the consequence. I fear we are heading into dangerous times.