Brazil's World Cup explained

Day 2,408, 03:35 • Published in USA USA • by 2503830

Excited about the world cup? Well then if you want to keep your mood that way better close this article real fast.
...

Ok so you're still here. A less known and mediated event - probably because it less likely to make Brazil's government look good - is the Rio protest against the World Cup.
Whaaat? Brazil? The country where soccer ( football for the European readers ) is the main sporting event is against the World Cup?
What's going on here followers?

Well, first let's see who organized this event, shall we?


FIFA is the governing body of the World Cup. They regulate which country hosts the event and how it will be hosted and if the conditions are met or not.
So far so good, right?
Nothing wrong.

Turns out this year's "winner" that gets to host the event is Brazil - the country where soccer is a cult.
Well, brazilians should be happy right? This is the greatest honor, right?

Well, see...no, not quite. not only they are not happy, they are FURIOUS and are taking to the streets. The FIFA body has demanded that the government slash public expenses and increase public transport fares ( things that hit the poor ) to fund the event by building - and i quote "FIFA standard stadiums".
Interesting.
Not a word about this though:

The text reads: We want FIFA standard hospitals and schools!

Starting to understand why they are angry?
Wait, it gets better.
Turns out the news stadiums are PRIVATELY OWNED and can charge up to 500-1000$ a ticket for the event.
Who does this exclude from the games? Why Brazil's poor of course, those who are the most likely to enjoy the sport anyway. Those who made the sport the cult of Brazil.
But wait a minute... some of you ask yourselves, where exactly does the land to build these stadiums...come from?
Hmmm...interesting question. And luckily for you i have the answer: by demolishing this thing right here:

Gives off that neo-liberalist dreamworld vibe, doesn't it?

Turns out the govt is ( still is ) demolishing or planning to demolish - sometimes with the tenats still inside these buildings to clear it up as prime real-estate.
Hopefully i don't have to mention for who and what purpose - smart readers will already have figured this out.

Ok ok, so this is bad. But think of the economy ! The jobs and prestige those stadiums will bring. Why businesses will flourish !

or so we might think.
Turns out the govt just passed a law making it illegal to sell food or drink from outside the stadium on a 2 mile radius around the area.
So much for small merchants making a buck out of the event - GO economy !!
Want a beer or snack ? You buy it INSIDE - at 4 times the price from a big corporation, of course.
Such a lovely thing this free market...especially when you can control it so easy, no?

Well at least they get a very modern stadium. So suck it up you hater!
Well, no, not really.
See the government doesn't OWN the stadium until it pays it off first - ruining its public services budget.
And afterwards they have other plans with it:
http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/25/brazilian-judge-wants-world-cup-arena-to-be-gaol-keeper-4111515/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1789476-brazil-may-turn-their-amazon-stadium-into-a-prison-after-2014-world-cup

Coupled that with the trend of criminalizing protest ( ukraine, turkey, USA and now Brazil and many others ) and you can see how the average "jose" will get to see the inside of the stadium, free of charge...for an extended period of time too.

And to finish this off on a positive trend, the 2016 Olympics will be hosted in Brazil also.
For those who don't know the Olympics are that event that costed $15 bn Russia for a town with 100 people in it that now looks like this:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/austinhunt/27-photos-of-a-ghost-town-that-was-once-the-sochi-olympic-vi
Feel your tax dollars ( errmm roubles ) at work

And this is the story of every Olympic site after the two lousy weeks of said games:
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/olympics/in-pictures-what-happens-at-host-cities-after-the-olympics#image-6
http://www.weather.com/sports-rec/olympics/former-olympic-sites-decay-photos-20130718


And with that i end my rant.
Brazil's world cup is great if you enjoy poor people being beaten by corrupt fascist thugs ( police ) and enjoy seeing their houses demolished on top of their heads to make room for corporate control of the country.
Book your vacations now, followers!

Have fun 🙂