Political chaos, mayhem in sports and the war in West Asia

• As if to rub salt into FIFA’s wounds,  Trump has resumed bombing Iran once again

Since the end of World War II, the US has been the bully-boy of international politics. A rough, aggressive state, often employing its armed forces or local thugs/militia to enforce, intimidate, or hurt smaller nation states which reject  US demands and try to follow policies which would improve the conditions of their own people.

In 1953,  the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),  together with the British,  toppled Iran’s elected Prime Minister  Mohammad Mosaddeq to protect western oil interests. In 1960 the US orchestrated in the Congo the overthrow and killing of   Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba of the  then newly independent government of that country. Many other states from Vietnam to Afghanistan  Iran countries today, refusing to bow to US diktat,  fall victim to US hegemony.

Extensive American overseas military engagements since World War II have resulted in millions of deaths worldwide. Since 1945, the US has used its global network of military bases and  agreements to invade or intervene in at least 96 countries. 

In March this year,  US President Trump   together with his partner-in-crime Israel bombed Iran, killing Iranian leader (Ayatollah Khamenei), his family, a number of ranking military leaders,  and attacked a number of civilian and military sites including a girls’ kindergarten killing over 125 children.

President  Trump threatened to obliterate the whole Iranian nation if the country retaliated. Unlike in other past US military interventions,  however, Iran retaliated. It also attacked Israel,  damaging its military infrastructure. US bases in West Asian countries were attacked causing extensive damage to US military assets. Not only were US military bases and weaponry hit; US military personnel were killed. Soon,  the US president was seeking ways to exit the imbroglio in Iran.

Prior to his sneak attack on Iran, President Trump surreptitiously attacked Venezuela, kidnapped its President and took control of the oil resources of that country. Probably, spurred  on by this quick takeover of Venezuela, Trump attacked Iran expecting another quick victory and further enhancement of US global domination. 

The Iranian retaliation left the US image of invincibility in tatters. Worse, his NATO allies rejected his (Trump’s) demands for involvement in his Iranian adventure. The most telling blow was when the Iranian attack struck Israel’s military infrastructure and Israel was forced to accede to Trump’s demand to sign a peace agreement with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. It exposed Israel as a mere appendage of US military power.

As though Trump’s politico-cum-military interventions had not caused sufficient chaos world-wide, the American President has begun  interfering with  one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events –the FIFA World Cup co-hosted this year by the US, Canada and Mexico. 

Fifty members of the European Parliament are demanding that FIFA investigate its president Gianni Infantino over alleged violation of the football federation’s political neutrality rules after Infantino presented the FIFA Peace Prize to Trump,  move seen by many  as done to placate the US President.

Exacerbating a bad situation, Trump intervened after a referee imposed a ‘red card’ on a US player for foul play. It meant the particular US player was ineligible to play in the following game.  President Trump asked that the red card be lifted and the US player be permitted to play. The FIFA lifted the ban!    

All hell has now broken loose. A number of countries are now demanding that particular matches be replayed claiming biased refereeing resulted in discriminatory results against their teams. Portugal is crying foul, as is Egypt. Both teams claim biased decisions resulted in their elimination from the tournament. Trump’s involvement in reversing the referee’s decision did not stop the US team’s elimination from the tournament.

This year’s World Cup was tainted from its inception when the FIFA apparently breached its own political neutrality rules. As a Member of the European Parliament said, the World Cup “is supposed to unite the world…” 

“When FIFA President Infantino favours one President over another, this brings FIFA and the whole tournament into disrepute.”

As if to rub salt into FIFA’s wounds,  Trump has resumed bombing Iran once again and refers to Iranians as ‘scum’.