Is every salesperson who lies to a customer a thief? Is every fan that watches the football in Qatar supporting prejudice? Are all the people who vote National next year supporting racism? Yes, at some level they are.
Standing up to something that is wrong isn’t easy it can be hard and require sacrifice. It might be not watching a football match, or simply saying actually guys I like your tax policies but your anti Maori stuff is seriously messed up - I’m not voting for people who use racism to get votes.
Much easier to keep quiet about something really contentious, or perhaps make a comment or two when among friends saying how you feel then going with it anyway. People don’t get thanked for rocking the boat, especially expensive ones.
This week you might have seen comedian and general stander upper to bullshit Joe Lycett say that if David Beckham cuts ties with the World Cup in Qatar he will donate £10,000 to charities that support gay people in football. If Beckham doesn’t he’ll shred the ten grand along with, apparently, David Beckham’s role as a gay icon. Much for the image conscious Beckham to lose although I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it compares to the option of losing £150m as an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup.
It is a shame Scotland is not at the World Cup, not for their footballing ability I should hasten to add, and for once drinking the country dry wouldn’t be much of an achievement. But perhaps they could’ve been told they weren’t allowed rainbow flags at the games. This is what happened when an organisation told Scottish supporters they couldn’t fly flags in support of Palestinians.
Of course this post wouldn’t be complete without mention of the 81 Springbok tour. The protesters willing, in a country obsessed with rugby and with beating the old enemy, to stand up and say “yeah nah - we don’t want to be playing sports with these guys, even rugby.”
”That regime is unacceptable no sporting encounter is worth supporting that. Think of the plight of those suffering under apartheid.” And they had a role in that system ending a decade later. Little did they know at the time that North Shore property prices would never be the same again - but that is another story.
Why are we not treating repressive regimes today like we did back then? There is a line to be drawn, it is not the same for everyone, but there are some states today which are beyond the pale that surely cross the line for most people. Like Israel or Saudi Arabia, Myanmar or Qatar.
We all have our limits things we’ll put up with and also our price for which we can be bought. I don’t mean bought as in willing to do something dodgy, something that doesn’t fit with us morally, to shut up and take the money even though our gut and our heart are telling us it is wrong.
Oh hang on, wait a sec - no I’m talking about exactly that.
The awful feeling when you know something is wrong but you do it anyway because you were “only following orders”. Just to be clear I’m not talking about taking part in genocide - definitely the other side of the line - I’m talking about things that are (probably) legal but you know they are wrong.
Obviously the decision where a line is drawn may have contributing factors, for example financial realities, or will standing up to something put us in danger? Being able to take a stand from a position of power is a luxury. Which makes you wonder why so many who have so much seem to not have lines at all. Perhaps that’s how they ended up with so much?
But many ethical or moral stands cost little or nothing. Choosing to buy free range eggs, or not buying Rhino horn. Maybe it is missing a football tournament or perhaps it is casting your vote at the election not based on the needs of others being greater than your own, but you’re just not willing to vote for those deliberately trying to make racism worse rather than better.
I have in the past quit a job on the spot - yeah that line is right here and I’m not going to just shut up and step over it, it is wrong. I wouldn’t recommend making a habit of it but it is a very good feeling to say yeah nah, that crosses a line, I’m out - bye.
But I am also a hypocrite.
I’ve spent time in Israel, loved it. Fascinating history real and otherwise, easy to travel, great food, friendly welcoming people but the actions of the government are repugnant. I mean that’s the way it works right? Governments, and companies, do awful things while most of the people are decent
But there seems to be limited action by the people, be it in Tel Aviv or Doha, to do something about their terrible governments. Of course thinking about positions of power it would be a lot harder for individuals in Qatar to stand up to their government, there is a price to pay - right Iran? But there is absolutely nothing stopping people in Israel protesting, heck they don’t even need to protest they just need to democratically vote the monsters out.
I guess it must be a similar situation for those who vote National. They must look at the MPs, and the things they say, and then hold their nose and vote for them anyway. If you think that sounds unfair consider the alternative - that they’re voting for them because they like them and think they will provide good leadership!
I think the Qatari regime is barbaric, just as any that oppresses the freedom of people based upon who they love. But again I’m a hypocrite, I’ll end up watching the football with my son, I can’t justify it from a moral point of view but it will mean a lot to me.
He is 18 his final exam is today, he is finishing school and before I know it spending time with him watching something like the football World Cup will be a rare opportunity as he makes his way in the world. So I’m not going to give it up.
We’ll watch games in the middle of the night when the rest of the family are fast asleep. I’ll try to encourage him not to be negative and too emotionally invested in the result, like his old man was for years, but to enjoy the game and I will be grateful for his company knowing how much I’ll miss him during tournaments to come.
If that is selfish I’ll wear it.
We’re all hypocrites, imperfect but we all know what is right, I mean not David Seymour obviously, but the rest of us - we know.
What about you, where is your line?
Willing to lie to customers for financial gain (mostly not your own obviously)? Watch a sports game in a grotesque medieval state? Happy to vote for people who demonise the weakest members of your society and inflame racial prejudices for personal gain?
As the Dead Kennedys song goes...
Where do you draw the line? I’m not telling you, I’m asking you.
Do the easy thing or do the hard thing, do the thing that might be beneficial to you versus the right thing?
Something to think about this election.
If you’ve watched World Cups before you’ll know predictions are a big part of it - anyone remember Paul the Octopus? My prediction is Beckham will honour his commitments to Qatar and Joe will back out of shredding the money and give it to the charities anyway - good bloke Joe.
Oh and is England going out on penalties still a thing? I’ll pick that one too. I guess they’ll be needing a new song, after the women’s team won the Euros at home ending such a long wait between major trophies.
There is a lyric in that song “and then one night in Rome”, Fi (my wife now, but not yet then) and I were in Rome that night backpacking around Europe. We had no idea there was a football game on and wondered why the hell no hotel owner would even speak to an English speaking person much less offer them a room.
There are no doubt dyed in the wool Nat supporters who would vote for Adolf Hitler if he reappeared wearing a blue rosette. But they aren't the folks who decide the election. My impression is a lot of the swing voters have a fairly shallow analysis. They just get grumpy about something ("cost of living", "masks") and decide it's time to "give the other team a go". Many are cynical about what difference it makes anyway (a friend of mine says "neoliberalism wins no matter who you vote for") and some, even otherwise intelligent people, are swayed by the polls and want to vote for the likely winners.
But articles like this are vital to remind us of the compromises we make all the time and I appreciate the depth of your analysis. I, also with an 18 year old finishing school, would be quite comfortable with your World Cup tradeoff. At least you are aware there even is an issue, many fans won't be I suspect.
Having grown up in a rugby loving family with my father, grandfather, and brothers all rugby players, I made the decision to stop watching rugby during the 1981 Springbok tour. I also would not let my young sons play rugby. my husband who loved rugby was not impressed . He grew up at boarding school-Wesley College,a rugby school- and had been in the first fifteen. We were living in Auckland and I started my eight year old son in a soccer team, and then my younger son when he turned five. They both did pretty well in soccer, and were in compettitve teams. My husband did get in behind their sport but he was disappointed they were not playing rugby. I refused to watch rugby at all- he had to watch test matches on tv by himself, with friends and with our sons as they grew older. I remember well how excited he was when Bryan Williams became an All Black. He was the first pasifika player. I remember my husband talking about pasifika players being blocked from top level rugby, not having access to the "right clubs" to become All Blacks.Racism in rugby was not only the Springboks being invited to NZ- it was also Māori players having to be "honourary whites to be able to tour South Africa as All Blacks, accepted by our govt. and riugby union , and pasifika players being overlooked. When we left Auckland for Dunedin , soccer in Dunedin was not great. Rugby ruled. In the end my sons both chose to play soccer initially, but then rugby, and rugby league at different times. My oldest son who lives in Melbourne is a Rugby Union tragic. my younger son who lives in Dunedin prefers rugby league. They got very used to me declining to watch any rugby on tv with them for years. But the times have changed. Rugby has moved with the times- has become more inclusive ( still not perfect) womens rugby has become visible. Go the Black Ferns, and the Kiwi Ferns.There are many Pasifika players- my husband passed away in 1997 after a stroke. He would be overwhelmed to see the pasifika players around the world playing top rugby. My sons have had to adjust to me now actually watching rugby, and talking with them about games/teams. I stood my ground for many years, but I am able to have good conversations with my adult sons about the issues of the past. They fully support the 1981 protests against the Springbok tour, and have an understanding of the racism in rugby in NZ that was exposed from that time. Racism and Sexism.!