World Cup controversy thread,Sepp seen leaving hotel with giant SWAG bags (14 Viewers)

[K.O.]

I don't know man, you are kind of retarded.

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Martin]

Man, you should really visit Dubai and Qatar, you'd feel silly for saying such a thing.

What do you mean?

 

[ReBeL]

It's just a mask?

You will judge it later.

 

[Martin]

You will judge it later.

I will try to give you a lesser sentence.

 

[Byrone]

What do you mean?

Fred has extensive experience spotting breasts under religious garb.

 

[Martin]

Fred has extensive experience spotting breasts under religious garb.

Does he moonlight at the airport?

 

[Seven]

The UAE isn't all that different. And the slave argument is a funny one, as I was thinking about that in Dubai. Clearly a lot of people are getting lower-wage jobs by emigrating and sending money back home. This happens between, say, Central America and the U.S. as much as it does the UAE and India and Malaysia. The difference is mostly about the definition of citizenship.

In the U.S., the immigration policy is a bit of don't-ask/don't-tell, as we hate the immigrants but love the lower labor costs. In places like Qatar and the UAE, it's above the table. The good news is that a lot of the criminal issues of an illegal market are avoided. The bad news is that while you can have so many immigrants openly working in the country, as in the UAE, at the same time they can never become citizens. (Well, only the wife of a UAE citizen -- never men.) Which is a better system?

Cultural relativism for sure. But you could argue that the system in the Middle East towards migrant labor at least doesn't make the act of providing foreign labor illegal as it is in the U.S. Even if immigrants stand a chance to naturalize in the U.S. but virtually never in the UAE. Which one is a fairer system by human rights? You start throwing bricks in glass houses if the US were to start using that argument.

And let's face it -- not every nation on this planet gets to be Italy. But that is how the world is, that is what's part of the world, and denying those differences is to close off exposure to what it means to be a true world sport.



Dude, fuck the Chinese -- I thought the Sydney Olympics were the best summer games thus far. And don't worry -- Australia will get the World Cup eventually.

Good post. And to an extent I agree. But the big difference is that in Qatar it's all pretty obvious, whereas in the US it's a bit below the sufrace. A World Cup in a country that blatantly has what can only be defined as a slave class.. come on, you know it ain't right.

And what about the infrastructure after the World Cup. South Africa can't even use their stadiums to the fullest now so how on Earth are Qatar going to fill them as soon as the World Cup is over? It's also the only bid that was nothing but a financial proposal. All other bids had more to offer than just money. And there's the atmosphere of scandal surrounding the Qatari bid from the start and the fact that Qatar don't have a proper national team. And last but not least, the climate is pretty horrible for a World Cup. We wouldn't play games in Alaska during Winter now would we?

Come on, it's a joke and we all know it.

 

[Seven]

You're saying it wouldn't take you centuries to understand, but I think it just might.

 

[Fred]

I don't know if onlyjuve was being sarcastic there, but women dress relatively freely in cities like Dubai or Doha. While laws are in place that say that women(and men) should not wear clothes under the knee, and should cover the shoulders, it isn't actually enforced.

 

[K.O.]

And what about the infrastructure after the World Cup. South Africa can't even use their stadiums to the fullest now so how on Earth are Qatar going to fill them as soon as the World Cup is over? It's also the only bid that was nothing but a financial proposal. All other bids had more to offer than just money.

That just shows that you don't know shit about Qatar's 2022 bid! In their presentation, they mentioned something about stadiums being dismantled and rebuilt in poorer nations that want to be able to host large sporting events in the future.

You're saying it wouldn't take you centuries to understand, but I think it just might.

Yeah, of course

 

[Fred]

You're saying it wouldn't take you centuries to understand, but I think it just might.

Rebel isn't very fond of gulf countries and perhaps rightfully so for his own reasons. But most of Rebel's grief with them is because of some of their governments actions/policies. Having lived here for 9 years and having met loads of Saudi's, Kuwaiti's and Qatari's, i have to say the perception people have of them(which lets be honest is just because they're rich) is imo very unfair, they are one of the most hospitable, down to earth, friendly and warm people i have ever met and i've been to lots of places.

 

[ReBeL]

Rebel isn't very fond of gulf countries and perhaps rightfully so for his own reasons. But most of Rebel's grief with them is because of some of their governments actions/policies. Having lived here for 9 years and having met loads of Saudi's, Kuwaiti's and Qatari's, i have to say the perception people have of them(which lets be honest is just because they're rich) is imo very unfair, they are one of the most hospitable, down to earth, friendly and warm people i have ever met and i've been to lots of places.

I was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there, bro. I did not build my opinion on nothing. Most of the people in Gulf countries think we are inferiors to them, just because we had to work at their countries.

 

[Byrone]

Good post. And to an extent I agree. But the big difference is that in Qatar it's all pretty obvious, whereas in the US it's a bit below the sufrace. A World Cup in a country that blatantly has what can only be defined as a slave class.. come on, you know it ain't right.

And what about the infrastructure after the World Cup. South Africa can't even use their stadiums to the fullest now so how on Earth are Qatar going to fill them as soon as the World Cup is over? It's also the only bid that was nothing but a financial proposal. All other bids had more to offer than just money. And there's the atmosphere of scandal surrounding the Qatari bid from the start and the fact that Qatar don't have a proper national team. And last but not least, the climate is pretty horrible for a World Cup. We wouldn't play games in Alaska during Winter now would we?

Come on, it's a joke and we all know it.

Wrong. With the exception of two stadiums the rest are being used for various sporting events like football & rugby. Also, the stadiums are being used for concerts & expos. Some are converting certain sections to act as mini malls with fast food outlets.

Provided a stadium has a decent management company running the stadium then there shouldn't be an issue maintaining & using them to their potential.

 

[Fred]

I was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there, bro. I did not build my opinion on nothing. Most of the people in Gulf countries think we are inferiors to them, just because we had to work at their countries.

No offense to any of the Saudi's here, but i heard that a lot by people who live(d) in Saudi Arabia, its strange because in the university i used to study in, there was a big number of Saudi's and they were very good people.

In all cases i won't pretend to know too much about other gulf countries, but the locals here, after 9 years in this country, i have a very good impression of them. IMO they are very nice and hospitable people.

 

[Fred]

You could post a photocopy of a $5m signed cheque from a Qatari sheikh to Sepp Blatter on here and people wouldn't accept it, so it makes the idea of trying to prove bribery wasn't part of the bid pretty pointless.

Qatar have lots of money (and not the strongest bid on paper, that's untrue, its an interesting and ambitious bid but not the strongest, even FIFA reported so a fortnight ago), more than the other competitors, FIFA likes lots of money, Qatar won the bid. Make of that what you will.

I make of it, that the best bid won.

 

[ReBeL]

No offense to any of the Saudi's here, but i heard that a lot by people who live(d) in Saudi Arabia, its strange because in the university i used to study in, there was a big number of Saudi's and they were very good people.

In all cases i won't pretend to know too much about other gulf countries, but the locals here, after 9 years in this country, i have a very good impression of them. IMO they are very nice and hospitable people.

I also heard that it is much better in UAE. But I hear that Qatar is similar to Saudi Arabia in treating others.

 

[only-juve]

I don't know if onlyjuve was being sarcastic there, but women dress relatively freely in cities like Dubai or Doha. While laws are in place that say that women(and men) should not wear clothes under the knee, and should cover the shoulders, it isn't actually enforced.

But the girls can't show their bare boobs in public. Perhaps some cleavage but nothing more

 

[Fred]

I don't know, thats not what i heard, i have a friend that works here, he used to live in Qatar for 3 years, and his family is still there so he goes every summer. He has nothing but good things to say about them. Guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on this, as it is all very subjective.

 

[Fred]

But the girls can't show their bare boobs in public. Perhaps some cleavage but nothing more

well ya of course not. I don't think thats what Jay meant anyways.

 

[ReBeL]

I don't know, thats not what i heard, i have a friend that works here, he used to live in Qatar for 3 years, and his family is still there so he goes every summer. He has nothing but good things to say about them. Guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on this, as it is all very subjective.

No worries, bro.

All what I said is that this is not a victory for Arabs as the prince of Qatar wants it to appear. It is merely a win for him and for his wife. A normal guy from Syria won't be able to go there, and a little child in Algeria will not feel that this World Cup will be any different from those in Europe or any other place in the World.