Dear teh mEEz,
I know none of us is a huge football fan, but sometimes watching games with friends is always fun. I also like the opening ceremonies, with all the beautiful performances and stuff. However this year, I don't have a good feeling about the games. Here are my reasons:
1- Brazil is the country with the highest rate of child prostitution in the Latin America and the main destination for sex tourism in the Region. I am pretty sure the World Cup, with an estimated number of half a million international football fans flowing there is not gonna help the situation. In fact the games are likely to increase the number of people who would tend to use sexual services "offered" by these little girls and boys, who are in some cases as young as 8 years old.
I know you might think that I am being emotional and am referring to non credible sources, but I actually read an academic paper on the topic while writing my thesis. The living condition of these kids is sickeningly sad.
Now I am by no means an economy expert, but I personally believe that instead of spending 14 billion Dollars in preparation for the World Cup, the Brazilian government could invest in poverty eradication programs and capacity building within the vulnerable families who send their kids off to work on the streets, law enforcement training on the topic, crime control programs, basic education, family planning,... and the list goes on.
2- Many Brazilians are against the games. As far as I have learned, there has been quite some economic pressure on people in the past year or two, especially after the adjustments made in the infrastructure in order to suit them to the international standards for hosting the games. People's protests have led to many arrests and incidents of police brutality. It is annoying that instead of spending the money on subsidizing education and healthcare the government has actually raised such costs in the past year, preferring the "glory" of hosting the Cup over the "actual" needs of its people.
3- World Cup should aim at bringing nations closer together. What is the point of all the hassle if it is only gonna result in more gain for the economic cartels and deepening the currently existing gap?
So these are my main reasons. Of course I would never despise anyone for choosing to watch the games, it is simply my personal choice. I won't be able to keep out of my mind the image of those innocent little glue-sniffing kids in Brazil who will be lost in the shadows of the huge stadiums every time I turn on the TV to watch a football match.
XOXO
Nana Pomzy
Hey Pomzy, poor countries are easily seduced to organize this kind of event because they want to show the world what they can do. Also, the elites want big events because they own the companies that get the building contracts. Its a problem a lot of developing countries have. They prefer big prestige projects over more modest but effective programs such as land distrubution for poor farmers on the countryside. Instead they invest in big projects in the cities, drawing the poor in from the neglected countryside. Then the countryside is left empty, and the slums run full. Its a problem they have to combat, the international community should pressure and expose them. Not watching the games would be a good way, if no one would watch it would send a powerful signal. I guess Im not strong enough or I think I alone cant make a difference, as Im watching now, also the commercials.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenNana: Lol, I guess if you enjoy watching it then you should. I personally don't, but the majority of people watch the games.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenNothing is gonna change in the near future, but we should express our opinion and be true to it, and teach our kids to do so. And some day the world will see the change.