A Liverpool fan on the cafe
Today at 13:36
#2842
Fenre New Member
Joined:
Jul 26, 2018
Messages:
10
Supports:
Liverpool
Some fans would probably say I am just bitter as a Liverpool fan when I write this. They are free to do that, but it does not make this less true. We need to address this. The elephant in the room. And that is that a team, backed by money from a country with slavery, racism and terrible human rights records, have just one the league, and they are using this as a propaganda machine.
Let me make this clear. Almost no team in the world is on the high ground here. I am just writing this here to maybe get some focus on this again. It sickens me all the praise this team is getting, without even problematize how the club has become what it is.
The owners of Manchester City have built up their riches on the back of exploitation of migrant workers, that has a structural racism backed into it. Addition to that, the United Arabs Emirates is being criticized regularly for their unfair trails, lack of freedom of expression, torture, and discrimination against women.
One example of this, is for example the trafficking of children as used for jockeys. I first read about this in an article by Nicholas McGeehan
(http://www.josimar.no/artikler/the-men-behind-manchester-city-the-dark-side/5040/) in which he writes about the leisure activity of the royal family behind Manchester City. Camel racing, with children as jockeys. As he writes:
“Children who spoke to Anti-Slavery International said that they were underfed to keep their weight down, forced to work long hours with either minimal or no pay, and beaten. UNICEF reported that some children were also sexually abused. Save the Children described harrowing stories of children stung by scorpions while they tried to sleep, children bitten in the face by camels as they posed for photos with victorious sheikhs, children given electric shocks for stealing dates intended for the camels, and child jockeys trampled and left untreated in the backs of vans. “
This year, we have seen something fantastic, and that is players speaking up against racism in football. I really hope that this continues, and that we start addressing other issues here as well.
For me, owners like the owners of Manchester City should not be allowed to buy a club that is loved by so many, and then use it as a propaganda machine. They should be thrown out of this sport. Football was and is the escape for many workers from their daily life, and to enjoy something beautiful. Our joy however should not be built on the exploitation of other workers, and other horrible acts of human rights violation.
But are we doing anything? No. We are just all saying that this is something we can’t do anything about. We pay the tickets and we praise the football and turn the blind eye towards the uncomfortable.
It’s fecking sickening.
