Capitalism inevitably and relentlessly turns everything into its opposite. A thing that once was for human joy, a social activity that teaches teamwork, communication, collectivity, benefits of exercise, individual confidence and a lot more, is reduced to advertisement for Visa and hundreds of other money-grubbing enterprises, parasites feeding off the desire of working people to have some pleasure in life.
This is the World Cup.
Football has a long history. Some form of it goes back two thousand years, existing on almost every continent. The modern sport – by far the most popular in the world – dates back several hundreds of years. Based in Europe, it was exported by colonialism to the corners of the globe. It is a sport that nearly everyone can play, with simple rules and few requirements. It can be, and was, played on the street, in an alley, a barren field, almost anywhere, with minimal necessities.
But the development of capitalism turns everything it touches, whether it be sport or games or human relationships, into an enterprise tainted by money, corrupted by hierarchy and infested with the immorality of racism and nationalism.
The recent World Cup happened during expanding imperialist wars and deepening capitalist crisis, with racist attacks on workers and growing fascism worldwide. Open racism against Black players by fans cheering “their” team. Iranian players whose families are being bombed not allowed to sleep in the US and faced biased referring that made them lose their final game. Football is being used to distract the masses from the growing war and fascism that we face into waving “our” national flags and cheering for “our team.” Workers and youth have nothing in common with our bosses and rulers and everything in common with each other. The national flags represent the interest of the capitalists, not the workers!
The team from Egypt said they play for Palestine. The team from Norway contributed to Gaza. Nice gestures but gestures do not change the essence of the spectacle.
The World Cup is “give me the money” masquerading as sport. Brought to you by Visa, a $675 billion company. They, like their fellow parasites, banks, hedge funds, insurance companies, and the like, make their money from squeezing workers with exorbitant interest rates, compounded, often over 20% and higher.
What a system. They screw you and then they screw you. Dividing workers by nation with flags and songs —even pantomime rowing —to make and create distinctions where there are none (certainly none of consequence) to generate antagonism and difference. Whether it be geography or skin color, workers really have no nation. Capitalists own each one of the world’s “countries,” like everything else. Their class are the owners of the names, flags, (changing) borders, and everything inside. They teach our kids patriotism when their only commitment is to profit. They bombard us with the illusion of nationality to serve their class interests – in opposition to ours. Nationalist ideology only benefits the demagogues who use our youth, our work, and our lives in wars to compete with other capitalists in the struggle for their insatiable profits.
They use sport like they use miseducation. The World Cup is mass propaganda, not sport. Be careful what you root for. Let’s unite to fight together for a communist world without nations, nationalism, racism, and imperialist war where sports are again a joy that bring us together to learn from and enjoy each other’s strengths.
Read more about nationalism here