COVER -> RECOMMENDED DAILY REQUIREMENT
SOUTH AFRICA WORLD CUP - One of the most damning aspects about our ever-demanding society is that if perpetrators of major crimes are not caught within two or three days of committing their offences, it is unlikely that they ever will be.
One reason for this is that most of the reliable evidence available to the police is there at the outset and is quickly acted upon. Another is that the eager-to-help-and-get-involved public will only behave that way when they are constantly being reminded to do so.
 |
No one knows why he did this. Some say he was bribed, others that he received death threats. Mr. Dempsey, who has since resigned, said it was due to "intolerable pressure". Yet despite hope when the story was in the public eye that some sort of justice might be met, the world governing football body, FIFA, have said that --- irrespective of any wrong doing --- Germany will host the World Cup in 2006.
| The World Cup is once every 4 years and has been that way since it started in 1930, (bar 1942 and 1946 when there was no tournament due to the war.) It can be staged anywhere but not in the same continent in succession. From 1930 to 1990 it alternated between Latin America and Europe because these were the only two continents that cared about football. However, Africa has been football mad for over a decade now, and both Australia and the Far East are going that way. In 1994 it went to the US because FIFA saw it as a major potential market, although it didn't really work out, and in 2002 it will go to Japan and South Korea. But only Latin America suffered from this, they last staged it in 1986, Europe had it in 1998, and will have it next --- based on this bad decision by FIFA --- again in 2006. The voting system, basically, is 24 delegates from around the world (almost half Europe) vote for the hosts. In this round, 12 voted Germany, 11 South Africa and one abstention. It's difficult to say how much revenue the World Cup makes. It gets bigger every time, but the World Cup for South Africa could have increased GDP by about 20% for 2006. --- Al Dunsmuir |
Now I'm not being a typical English anti-German nationalistic football hooligan here. I try and leave that to the politicians. Germany will do an excellent job and the 2006 World Cup will be hailed as a great occasion.
But Germany, and Europe for that matter, does not need a World Cup. In footballing terms, Germany had one in 1974, and Europe (which is relatively small) has had one in two of all the World Cups since 1930. Politically, Europe is a largely united continent, and socio- economically, Germany and Europe are positively booming. Contrast with South Africa/Africa. The continent is more than twice as big as Europe, politically divided, economically fragile, potty about football, and without a World Cup to ever reminisce about.
South Africa is a very poor countrym desperately in need of inward investment, which the World Cup would have brought with it. It also needed the event to increase pride, unity and offer an outlet to express its soccer talents. Since the decision, Johannesburg's financial markets have all but collapsed.
Europe said that South Africa is too crime ridden to host the (2006) World Cup, but it can bid again for the 2010.
Ignoring the obvious inconsistency and patronising attitude inherent in that argument, Europe is ignoring the fact that South Africa staged rugby and cricket World Cups impeccably, whilst Euro 2000 was almost overshadowed by violent thuggery.
Europe is also ostensibly washing its hands of any responsibility it has to the Third World, not letting it have any economic or sporting joy because fat cats want it for themselves.
How bitter Africa must feel right now is sad. But what will seem criminal is if FIFA fails to restructure the system as to who hosts the World Cup, and that must come only after it has awarded one to South Africa. Not in 2010, but 2006.
This week's Poll - Do you think adolescents are treated fairly in America? The World?
RDR RECOMMENDED SITE OF THE DAY: Two symbols of freedom, the United States Capitol and the White House were built by slaves. Really. This Washington Post article tries to bring sunshine to the US's national secret.
