World Cup Summit 2014 in Rio : Political Idol (english version)

30 Juin 2014 , Rédigé par anthropoloquoi

This article is part of a trilogy called “Political Idol”. The first two parts are about French politics. This part, being about international politics is, though, translated in English so that it can be accessible to a wider audience.

This month, we meet our candidates of « Political Idol » for a very specific international meeting. The object of this international summit is more than decisive through the stake and the context. First of all, this encounter happens in Brazil, a country split up between its favelas and its billiards invested in this meeting. This point reveals the main stake of this meeting : the confrontation between the northern-industrialized-and-peaceful countries vs southern-messy-passionate-and-poor countries.

Every single piece necessary for this kind of international event is part of the meeting : Anarchist preoccupied by social issues and against the meeting ; fans ready to follow their team till death; uninterested people (vaguely associated with the category of women, who, as it’s known, don’t give a single shit about football nor politics); and journalists, experts, critics, etc…

As traditional politics failed in finding a winner in this more than sixty years old conflict, our candidates will meet up on a large green piece of grass, painted with white stripes, around a round ball, and between two cages decorated with fishing nets. They will run around this green piece of grass in funny costumes and with funny hair dress.

According to ancestral rules of hosting, our first candidate to open the game is of course Brazil, meeting up Croatia. This last one, not being totally considered as a third-world country, but still as a country recently on war so still not so trustful. Once again, according to ancestral rules of hosting, Brazil will be the winner of this first game.

The rest of the confrontations will see, among others, Spain, last holder of the title of “world popular governor”. It is though with a kind of gentleman touch that Spain retires itself, from the very beginning of the confrontations.

Brazil being the host of this meeting, its continental comrades are decided not to get evicted from the games too early. That’s how Mexico wins the confrontation facing Cameroun, so does Chili, facing Australia, and Colombia, facing Greece.

More from little enthusiasm, due to the last months events, than for a real solidarity with Spain, Portugal cannot support the confrontation with Germany, and leave its seat for the next confrontations. Italy doesn’t manage the confrontation with Uruguay, and Greece hardly passes in front of Japan.

During the next confrontations, France recovers its popularity thanks to Switzerland, and wins its seat for the next games, dreaming of a seat at the top as 15 years ago, after the difficult times of those past times which affected the image of the country – who cares a lot about its image.

During the next tournament, in a confrontation exclusively south american, the candidates decided to sort out Brazil and Colombia to lead the rest of the games.

The next tournaments expected will see a confrontation between France and Nigeria, then Spain and Algeria, where years of colonial history will be played on this green piece - At the time I’m writing this article, France already won against Nigeria though.

Those face to face on the green piece show how people find, little by little, a way toward the new expected politics, finally more ancestral, tribal, and middleage, than really « new ».

Would we admit, at the end, that our real expectations of politics is more about selling us dreams, and unchain our passions, than a real rulling of our personnal lives? Which football players do, so far, way better than our politicians ?