Conflicted Cup

[Another delayed post; will be caught up to the current continent soon. Posting lots of pictures and am working on getting everything on the Flickr site labeled and organized]

Eventhough it’s the same-old cafés in Addis, a lot has changed. Since 2003, internal conflicts, controversial elections, regional destabalization, and related suppression of free-speech have dominated Ethiopian politics. Protesters have been shot in the streets, opposition MPs have been forced to quit and are currently up on treason charges, text-messaging was eliminated from the nations technological catelogue because of subversive messaging, and entire editions of independent newspapers have been burned in the streets. Meanwhile, economic growth is at an all-time high, the nation is enjoying unfettered support from the US and EU, and construction is booming in Addis.

For the average citizen of the capital, a state of high skepticism is what they’re left in. The most blatant change that’s tied to this skepticism and recent conflict: no one reads the newpapers anymore. If it’s in print, it’s government, and if it’s government it’s not worth reading. So maybe it’s not the Paris of East Africa, because everyone’s just sitting over there macchiattos staring out at the rain, unwilling to read the propaganda, a bit afraid to discuss politics, and too tired and jaded to get up to change these things.

To compound all this (or perhaps as a relief – definitely as a relief to the government) the World Cup has arrived to distract Ethiopians from their nation’s troubles. Which brings me to something that’s been on my mind throughout this tournament:

Can the media please stop with the World Cup promotes peace, is a symbol of more perfect path of globalization, and/or is a sign that we are all coming together on equal ground? The only thing that the World Cup surely promotes is patriarchy, hooliganism, and Budweiser (did you here about the Dutch fans who had to watch a game in their underwear because of their Bavaria pants? Beyond Kafka…). All this crap about Ghana’s defeat of the US as a sign that the superpowers are beginning to crumble is ridiculous and is trivial consolation for what the current world order is really doing to the nations at the bottom.

Events on the actual field of play have been no more promising either. Throughout this trip I’ve attempted to promote soccer as a sport that more Americans should learn to appreciate. This tournament has done nothing to help my cause, consisting mostly (well, definitely after the group-stage) of abysmall officiating and pathetic play-acting by players; boring play and a lack of star power; and anti-climatic endings. Some may say that the tournament has at least been unpredictable, but then again we might be on our way to the France – Germany final I predicted…