Am I a fraud?/Are you a fraud?

[Toastandavocado]

AIBU for feeling like a fraud? Just watched the late night news article on Iran and the poor wee children murdered over the last month. It made me feel sick.

Then thought of the World Cup and the poor human rights and poor migrant workers who have died (and their families) and I said I wasn’t going to watch it because of these human rights violations.

Anyway, I work in education and all the kids are watching it, there’s no discussion around why the shouldn’t watch it and I’ve found myself watching some of it.

I still feel disgusted by the whole thing. What’s wrong with us? I genuinely believe most of us feel the same collective responsibility to human life, and doing the right thing. Why do we turn a blind eye? Why don’t we feel more confident to say, fuck you, if this was my child, I’d want the weight of the world behind it… and I feel like that’s what we should give, ie do not watch the World Cup… etc etc… little bits of support… to build a wave of change.

I truly believe I’m a fraud… and I’m sad to think this is the majority of the population too, and we want to change it, we just don’t know how 🤷‍♀️

I find myself in conflict of another aspect of the World Cup and that particular sport(because of a direct association with someone involved in it) and to me its the inbalance of money and what it goes to pay for...

The best way I can explain my unease, for want of a better word, is the sport itself attracts some of the poorest of nations and people. Yet businesses/entities and/or individuals (I am being deliberately vague for a reason) associated with it, are some of the wealthiest and yes/yes they work for it and deserve compensation for their efforts, but so do the poorer nations and people who are supporters/players/volunteers behind the sport at grass roots level who struggle for funding or payment.

I totally agree that this isn't the only sport, it is just a personal example for me as I know what a particular entity's renumeration package is... and its eye watering.

Change, any imbalance of money sadly seems to lead to corruption on some level. Your “unease” is justified because there is an imbalance of power. I can only try to empathise with the individuals who are at the mercy of a system that does not support their human rights and the poor families who have lost loved ones.

80% of the Qatari population is migrant workers. They have their passports taken away from them so they can't leave even if they want to.

It was also claimed that the country would be welcoming and inclusive to fans. They lied. They know they can lie because they have the money and power to get away with it.

Just heartbreaking… and we all turn a blind eye 👏

I'm sure the most popular and most watched event on the planet can handle a virtue signalling bore on mumsnet (the OP) informing us all she isn't watching an event on a tv ( which she probably is anyway).

Do you boycott all British shows and American sporting events OP from 2 countries that illegally invaded Iraq killing people 20 years ago .. thought not.

I don’t watch the Tour de France, Garden 🪴🤷‍♀️

Not watching it doesn’t help any of the people in need - how could it?
the only people I know who are boycotting are people who probably wouldn’t watch much anyway, it’s hardly a sacrifice for them really and it’s certainly not something helpful for the world
they’re also not doing anything about the women and girls struggling in this country, human trafficking, homelessness, food poverty, our government being corrupt, our royal family supporting nonces or any of the other big issues
and these boycotters are happy to buy things and have connections with other countries with questionable human rights.
but at least they feel better about themselves jumping on this particular bandwagon for a few weeks, until they forget in jan.

It’s a worldwide event, getting worldwide coverage, how could a collective response to boycotting it (that translates to money) possibly get a point heard 🤷‍♀️… as you were 🙄

surprisesports.com/opinion/most-watched-sports-events-in-the-world/ Think you need to update your stats

because most people watching the world cup aren't random virtue signallers on mumsnet - they're men generally who watch it. As you were.

Indeed.. I doubt the OP has ever attended or watched a football match in her life so no great loss she is " boycotting it". No reply to my question on if she boycotts countries that have engaged in war crimes and their matches strangely enough. 💩

Why are you even commenting then? Strange

No-one thinks the world is fair. The trouble is, unless we're in a position of real power, we can't do much about it. You could spend your whole life fretting over injustice, or you could be like most people and wonder what to have for dinner tonight.

Are you implying no one should comment on a thread unless agreeing with it? If you want an echo chamber, best to just write a diary

As I said garden football is a big part of my life in various ways. This post was more about the moral dilemma of watching a tournament when so many people have died due to human rights violations.

I imagine you look like this…

https://www.google.com/search?q=hunger+games&client=safari&channel=ipod_bm&prmd=vin&sxsrf=ALiCzsaSI0OBS_471FYHgQ5fE3Brq5FYZA:1669340246665&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_pKWDmcj7AhUThFwKHUrnCO0Q_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=375&bih=548&dpr=2#imgrc=y-Obaom5vGRkVM&imgdii=t6NQPli4WXjnXM

Garden, why are you obsessed on commenting on a thread you don’t agree with. I don’t think everyone should agree with me but if you don’t, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just move along. Strange.

or you could just not comment on a thread you don’t agree with and enjoy your dinner 🥘🤷‍♀️…

No idea what your childish insult/link is supposed to mean

This is a public forum, you're typing on it. Why should anyone " move along" simply because they disagree with your posts?

Why would I be eating my dinner at 2 am? What a strange character

Garden, this post is about human rights violations, not about football being “hot” how much someone watches football etc etc… apologies, that link was supposed to be the scary woman out the Hunger Games.

Yes, the human rights issues are horrendous in Qatar.. but they are in many countries. One of the BBC presenters for eg was pictured wearing a " 1 love " armband but regularly holidays in that well known place for sex equality Dubai.

I'm personally enjoying the tournament. The human race in general is fairly vile and if we boycotted sporting events in every country that had committed human right violations/ illegal wars/ exploitation of workers etc then none would be viewed anywhere on earth.

I don't really know why I'm answering this as your tone is pretty rude, but I'm a massive football fan who usually watches just about all televised events and watches live football regularly as well. I just feel strongly that this event should not have been held in Qatar.

I do plenty to help and campaign for vulnerable people in this country too.

Nobody cares as it's an event that men enjoy and billions are invested in the event.

Trade and goods boycotts actually do more than "i don't wanna watch it now" BUT that actually affects people's personal life so they are not that keen.