Robb do you know the names of these companies? Is there any coverage in our unbiased media?

That's the media for you wump

I see. So they turn a blind eye to the contractors killing people but criticise Qatar

Fair and unbalanced reporting. Fantastic

BBC did report about the UK contractors

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30295183

But in general a lot of the media are bias and corrupt with their own agendas,that's probably the same in every country though.

When the Gulf of Mexico incident happened in the USA did anyone blame the US regulatory regime or BP?

"But in general a lot of the media are bias and corrupt with their own agendas,that's probably the same in every country though."

So in effect, they don't really care about human rights do they? Like we have said all along, they only care about driving an agenda home to the public!! That is plain to see. That is also the reason we keep insisting the outrage in the media is far from genuine but driven by other factors such as anti-semitism among others.

"When the Gulf of Mexico incident happened in the USA did anyone blame the US regulatory regime or BP?"

Very very good question.

Some of the papers and journalists will care for the right reasons but a lot of them are also full of sh it I'm not disagreeing with that.

comment by itsonlyagame - #prayforSepp (U6426)
posted 3 hours, 18 minutes ago
TCW, allow me first to clarify that I'm a non-denominational European who's dedicated a fair bit of his working life to human rights issues, so my qualms over this issue are no way linked to any religious motivation and are in no way meant to condone human rights abuses, abusive exploitation or appalling working conditions.

I don't think anyone's trying to say occupational safety isn't appalling in Qatar, and if the uproar surrounding the World Cup helps to improve worker safety in Qatar and elsewhere, then at least we could say something good has come of this.

That said...

I can't help but feel there's an underlying issue that's going over many people's heads in the midst of this incessant targeting of Qatar (and FIFA) in the media.

Is the coverage really fuelled by a true concern in the media over corruption issues, worker safety, human rights...?

You see, I seriously doubt it. After all, if it were wouldn't there have been a similar outcry on awarding other recent int'l sporting events such as the Cricket World Cup or the Olympics to places with such infamous worker safety records and/or dubious respect for HR, such as India, Bangladesh, China or Pakistan? Does anyone seriously believe South Africa or other countries were much safer places to work than Qatar? Why are far, far worse human rights and corruption issues fuelled by and involving Western transnational corporations given only a fraction of the media coverage?

All of this makes me suspect there might just be a hidden agenda behind these media campaigns, and that belief is further endorsed when I find articles like the one referenced earlier, based on what are clearly blatant lies.

I don't know if it has to do with frustration borne out of failure to land a World Cup back home, or if it's intentional or unconscious targeting of Muslim/Arab peoples, if there are other political power struggles going on behind the scenes, if it is a combination of some or all of the above, but I certainly smell a rat in here somewhere.


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Great post ioag.

I am more concerned with the practicality of the situation than anything else. The agenda of the media may be an issue but I don't want it to distract too much from the areas of discourse they put forward. After all, exaggerated or not, these are real issues.

Absolutely TCW!! Totally agree with you on that.

Don't disagree too much TCW

comment by TCW (U6489)
posted 31 minutes ago
comment by itsonlyagame - #prayforSepp (U6426)
posted 3 hours, 18 minutes ago
TCW, allow me first to clarify that I'm a non-denominational European who's dedicated a fair bit of his working life to human rights issues, so my qualms over this issue are no way linked to any religious motivation and are in no way meant to condone human rights abuses, abusive exploitation or appalling working conditions.

I don't think anyone's trying to say occupational safety isn't appalling in Qatar, and if the uproar surrounding the World Cup helps to improve worker safety in Qatar and elsewhere, then at least we could say something good has come of this.

That said...

I can't help but feel there's an underlying issue that's going over many people's heads in the midst of this incessant targeting of Qatar (and FIFA) in the media.

Is the coverage really fuelled by a true concern in the media over corruption issues, worker safety, human rights...?

You see, I seriously doubt it. After all, if it were wouldn't there have been a similar outcry on awarding other recent int'l sporting events such as the Cricket World Cup or the Olympics to places with such infamous worker safety records and/or dubious respect for HR, such as India, Bangladesh, China or Pakistan? Does anyone seriously believe South Africa or other countries were much safer places to work than Qatar? Why are far, far worse human rights and corruption issues fuelled by and involving Western transnational corporations given only a fraction of the media coverage?

All of this makes me suspect there might just be a hidden agenda behind these media campaigns, and that belief is further endorsed when I find articles like the one referenced earlier, based on what are clearly blatant lies.

I don't know if it has to do with frustration borne out of failure to land a World Cup back home, or if it's intentional or unconscious targeting of Muslim/Arab peoples, if there are other political power struggles going on behind the scenes, if it is a combination of some or all of the above, but I certainly smell a rat in here somewhere.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Great post ioag.

I am more concerned with the practicality of the situation than anything else. The agenda of the media may be an issue but I don't want it to distract too much from the areas of discourse they put forward. After all, exaggerated or not, these are real issues.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Agree. I am more than happy to debate the practicality but the other stuff is just guff and hypocrisy and it is not sincere.

Happy to talk about the size of the country, the heat, the irregular football calendar, etc.

Let us have an honest discussion about that.

I mean more the migrant worker side of things. Practically speaking, we know that Qatar has had migrant worker issues, we know that a world cup requires a lot of labour. I know that it's meant to bring years of progress to the area but for me it's too big a red flag. I'm pretty sure I was hearing about the potential problems for migrant workers before construction begun. It would have been enough to stop me from giving a bid to them. But now it's happened, hopefully the conditions will be catapulted into the future by all the attention it has received.

I know, the construction companies this and that. They should take hefty blame. But. They operate that way because they know they can get away with it.

Poor worker conditions aren't exclusive to Qatar either. I think that's worth bearing in mind.

All I want. Is a world cup where nobody has to die. Is that too much to ask?

Thousands of slave labourers dying to build WC venues is guff

Actually, there is one more practical thing.

What's the point in equipping Qatar with enough stadia to host a world cup?

In Brazil they built one miles away from usefulness. I dunno whether that was corruption, ineptness or because they had already used the prime spots (probably not the last one). Point is, there's now a stadium just sitting there, presumably either gathering dust or operating at 5-10% capacity.

Aren't we going to have that problem on a huge scale after the WC is over?

Very well said TCW

I think there was discussion of 'disposable stadia' being built and then the materials being donated to countries in need, which sounds nice but also sounds like the sort of thing which people talk about but never materialises.

That's what they say they will do but has it ever materialised once?

One of the stadiums in Brazil is now a bus station apparently.

comment by internal solutions (U19964)
posted 20 minutes ago
Thousands of slave labourers dying to build WC venues is guff
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Slave labourers? Slaves to who?

I assume he is referring to migrant workers whose passports are held by their companies of employ, thus restricting their freedom of movement.

I would be very keen for us to boycott it.

We are rubbish anyway and have no chance of winning so we should use the only card we have left to play.

comment by TCW (U6489)
posted 36 minutes ago
I assume he is referring to migrant workers whose passports are held by their companies of employ, thus restricting their freedom of movement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can leave whenever you want to mate. All you need to do is go to an embassy for an emergency travel certificate.

This impression being created that Qataris are evil monsters is not true. Adds nothing to this debate

You can leave whenever you want to mate. All you need to do is go to an embassy for an emergency travel certificate.

Wouldn't it be better if they just had their passports?