The World Cup was shaping up to be a spectacular success for the United States. The hospitality the country provided to the teams and fans was exemplary. The interest from American fans dwarfed the interest seen when the USA last hosted the World Cup in 1994. The matches throughout the US, Canada and Mexico were energizing, showing why this is the beautiful game. And the US team played exciting, dynamic soccer (football), demonstrating that they are up to the task of taking on even the best in the game.
Then, it all got ruined.
Not by the fact that the USA lost Belgium 4-1. That can happen to the best teams in the world. No, it was ruined, perhaps predictably, by President Trump, interfering and trying to reverse the one-match automatic suspension for the American player Folarin Balogun after he received a red card in the round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We will never know for sure whether it was pressure from Trump that reversed the decision, but this is what Trump has claimed. In any case, the decision to postpone Balogun’s one-match automatic ban by one year is completely unprecedented. Something looks fishy. The track record of FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino does not give anybody much confidence that this was a decision made on objective grounds, without interference.
What is sad and dangerous is that President Trump’s repeated disregard for rules and institutions is having an effect in every domain. It has further polarized US politics, damaged US democratic institutions, significantly hampered global cooperation, and made security and peace more tenuous around the world.
Now, it is poisoning the beautiful game.
As in democracy, once you damage the institutions of world soccer (football), and the trust that people have in the effectiveness and impartiality of these institutions, the consequences will be long-lasting.
Say what you will about Trump. He is consistent – consistently corrosive to the institutions our future depends on.
Grazie al lavoro della Procura di Roma, del comparto intelligence e dei Ros oggi lo Stato Italiano rende evidente a tutti quale sia il reale atteggiamento della Russia nei nostri confronti.
Quello che emerge con l’evidenza dei fatti è un conflitto ibrido quotidiano, una guerra latente costante, per indebolire le nostre istituzioni, le nostre alleanze e la nostra sicurezza.
É la punta di un iceberg gigantesco, la guerra ibrida, fatto di nemici esterni e traditori interni che sono pronti a vendere la loro Nazione per soldi o per potere o per interesse personale.
Oggi lo Stato ne colpisce alcuni ma lo scontro è continuo ed incessante.
Grazie a chi lavora per contrastarlo.