The World Cup Legacy: Is It Really Worth It?

Okay, fans of the "beautiful game."  Here is an infographic on the legacy of World Cups.  As we enjoy this year's FIFA World Cup in Russia, let's take a look at some graphics and statistics about previous World Cups in Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.  Was it really worth it for those countries to host this international football/soccer championship.  I hope this provides you with some insight.

- Joanne

In order to host a World Cup, countries have to go through an arduous bidding process, competing against other nations for the prize of hosting the biggest sporting spectacle on Earth. However, more is promised than just a month long festival of football. When any major sporting event takes place, a lot is said about the legacy that it will leave behind once all the spectators have went home. This is especially true for the World Cup. The hosting nation often builds new stadiums, infrastructure and accommodation. In return for this, an economic stimulus is promised. A World Cup is meant to leave permanent benefits for the host nation, in terms of job creation, increased participation in football and public facilities. But does this happen? We’ve analysed some of the key outcomes of the previous four World Cups to find out.

During the 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, South Korea’s national side miraculously made it the the Semi Final’s, narrowly losing 1-0 to a 75th minute Michael Ballack strike. The event was hailed as a success for its seamlessly smooth operations and excellent football, but what effect did this have on both of the host countries? Tourism to Japan increased after the tournament. The Japanese public opinion of South Korea reached an all time high, helping to heal long standing issues between both countries, stemming from WW2. Although football is popular in Japan today, baseball remains the nations favourite pastime. The tournament reportedly cost a combined total of $7.5b to host, with an estimated economic impact of $11.86bn, making the tournament a financial success. This was the first time the World Cup was hosted across two countries.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany was widely praised as a tremendous success for the nation. According to the German government, tourism revenue increased by around $400m during the tournament, helping to boost the Germany economy. Also, a staggering 500,000 new jobs were created in the lead up to the tournament. The city of Cologne reported that their visitor numbers after the World Cup increased by between 7& and 10%. Another tangible benefit was that in preparation for the tournament, the German government invested the sum of €37b in infrastructure such as roads, transportation and facilities, so that the country could facilitate the surge in visitors. This is something that the German people still benefit from today. The German League also benefited by being awarded $70m, which was in turn put into grassroots development, so that young Germans could dream about playing in a World Cup one day themselves.

South Africa spend around $4bn on the 2010 World Cup, investing the money in six new state of the art stadiums and upgrading infrastructure such as roads and airports. FIFA generated a staggering $3.36bn from the event and awarded South Africa with $100m to fund grassroots projects around the country. Unfortunately, the South Africa World Cup has done nothing to improve the fortunes of the nations national team. Nicknamed Bafana Bafana, the team failed to qualify for Russia 2018, finishing bottom of their qualifying group with 4 points from 6 games. The national league still suffers from poor attendances, excluding the countries two major teams, Orlando Pirates and the Kaiser Chiefs. The estimated average cost of a tourist attending South Africa for the World Cup is estimated to be $13,000. The Cape Town stadium hosted five first round matches, and went on to host a second round, quarter final and semi final throughout the tournament. The stadium cost a reported $600m with the nations total spending for stadium construction and reburbishment topping $1.4bn. This left many South African’s wondering if they money could be better spent elsewhere in the country.

Widely criticised for leaving Brazil with several expensive but dormant stadiums, the 2014 World Cup is one that divides opinion. Brazil exited the tournament in a humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in the Semi Final, leaving the Selecao’s dream of winning the World Cup on home soil in tatters. Despite initial concerns, the 12 World Cup stadiums were ready on time for the opening ceremony to begin. However, now lies several near-abandoned stadiums which struggle to host any football at all. The most expensive stadium, adding up to a total cost of $550m, is located in Brasilia and is being used as a parking space for buses. 

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Is U.S, Attorney General Jeff Sessions using the Bible to defend evil?

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose!"

- William Shakespeare
From The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 3


 U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has quoted from the Bible in defence of President Donald Trump's immigration policy.  In so doing, Sessions has cited Scripture for an evil purpose. He has used a Biblical verse to justify the inhumane practice of separating the children of undocumented immigrants from their parents.at the southern border of the United States.

The passage that Sessions quoted is from St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 13:1, which reads as follows:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Here is what the Attorney General has said to justify the United States Justice Department's policy of prosecuting migrants who cross the border from Mexico.  During a speech to law enforcement officers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sessions declared, ""I would cite you the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes."

That passage from Romans 13 has been used to defend the most execrable and immoral practices.  Sessions, who is a Southerner from Alabama, knows that it has been quoted to justify slavery and the treatment of human beings as property.  The Nazis in Germany used it give religious authority to genocide.  In South Africa, it was used to grant legitimacy to apartheid.  St. Paul would be appalled to know that his words have been used to condone actions that cause human suffering.  Paul himself spent time in prison because he did not always obey the rules of unjust governors.

What Jeff Sessions has suggested is that God supports the Trump administration's reprehensible policy of tearing children away from their parents.  He has advocated that laws should be blindly obeyed, even unjust laws.  Sessions should read Henry David Thoreau's essay, Civil Disobedience.

"The government itself, which is the only mode which people have to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted, before people can act through it."

"Under a government which imprisons anyone unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison."

In 1963, civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. went to prison because he protested the segregation laws in Alabama, defying a judge who ruled that Dr. King could not hold protests in the city of Birmingham.  In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, King explained why he had broken the law.  "I am here because injustice is here, King wrote.  "I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all."

According to a 2016 profile in Newsweek magazine, Sessions is a Sunday school teacher at the Ashland Place United Methodist Church in Mobile, Alabama..  He has also been a delegate to the annual Alabama Methodist Conference.  Is it any wonder that Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that AG Sessions "could use more time in Sunday school?"  Moore, who is responsible for lobbying the government for Southern Baptist interests, declared, "We all have moments when we could use a little more time in Sunday school and this is one of those moments for the Department of Justice."

Sessions

Sessions reminds me of the Pharisees, a Jewish sect at the time of Christ.  They followed the letter of the law, but ignored the spirit of the law.  They were more concerned about appearances than actions.  They were more interested in upholding the law than acting compassionately.  That is why they criticized Christ for healing the sick on the Sabbath.  Christ, however, called them out for their hypocrisy.

Instead of focusing on a singular Biblical quote, Sessions should instead focus on the basic tenets of Christianity such as "love your neighbour as yourself."  He should also reread the parable of the "Good Samaritan" and write a 500-word essay on it.  Let me be clear.  I am not advocating that laws should be completely disrespected and ignored, only that they should not be obeyed blindly and unquestioningly.

In a just society, compassion should always overrule the letter of the law.  How dare the Attorney General of the United States hide behind the Bible to justify the cruel and immoral treatment of innocent babes in arms!  How dare President Donald Trump blame the Democrats for this egregious policy!  He has the power to stop it with the stroke of a pen.  Instead he refuses, using the children as a bargaining chip to obtain the funding for his insufferable wall along the Mexican border.  What kind of of president does that? What kind of a man does that?

This should not be a partisan issue.  It is a moral issue.  That's why all five living First Ladies of the United States, including Donald Trump's own wife, Melania, have spoken out against the so-called "zero tolerance" family separation policy.  It appears however, that their opposition has fallen on deaf ears.

The Trump administration has brought shame and disgrace upon a great nation.  It is time to stand up to the horror that it has wrought.  Children need the security of being with their parents.  Pediatric experts agree that without that security, they will suffer irreversible psychological damage.  That is an outrage!  It's time to take a stand.  People in the United States and around the world should protest and speak out against Trump's immigration policy.  Thankfully, Americans have the chance to express their opposition with their vote on November 6, 2018.


- Joanne

EDITOR'S UPDATE (June 20, 2018): Under increasing pressure from the public (and reportedly from his wife Melania and daughter Invanka), President Trump has announced his intention to back down on his policy of separating children from their parents.  It's good that Trump has changed course, albeit rather reluctantly.  He has blamed the Democrats for the immigration debacle, saying that they were the reason for the separation of families.  Yet, he now says he intends to sign an executive order backing down on his administration's unconscionable treatment of migrant children.    It turns out he can put a stop to it with the stroke of a pen.

What about the 2,300 children who are already separated from their parents?  Their fate is unclear and they remain locked up.  The executive order does not excuse what Trump has done and does not undo the harm to the children that have already been detained.

Living Room to Live Room:: The Most Famous Recording Studios in the World

Here is an infographic that music lovers and others are sure to enjoy.  It is filled with information, photos and sketches regarding the most famous recording studios in the world.  It provides the names of some artists who have recorded albums in the comfort of their own homes and gives you tips on how to create an at-home studio of your own.  I hope you have fun with this infographic and that you find it informative and useful.

- Joanne


Living Room To Live Room by Insulation Express.

Bobby Kennedy, America needs someone like you again

1968 was quite a shocking year in the United States.  Two major assassinations rocked the nation to its very core.  On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was killed while standing on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee.  Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a strong supporter of Dr. King and the civil rights movement, tried to heal a grief-stricken country. He talked of his own grief when his older brother, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas.  About two months later, Bobby himself would be killed by an assassin's bullet during his campaign for his Democratic nomination for president.

I have watched Bobby's victory speech in California many times.  I watched it again last Sunday night and it almost brought tears to my eyes.  He ended his speech with the words, "And it's on to Chicago and let's win there!"  Tragically, Bobby never made it to the Democratic Party's convention in the Windy City.  He was shot dead while walking through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.  If that hadn't have happened, RFK would most likely have been elected president.  After his victory in the California primary, he had the momentum to defeat his Democratic rival, Eugene McCarthy for the Democratic nomination.  He probably would have gone on to defeat the Republican nominee for president, Richard M. Nixon.

Sadly, it didn't happen that way.  Nixon won the 1968 presidential election and was re-elected in 1972.  The Watergate Scandal ensued and Nixon resign from office in 1974.  The United States was deprived of the opportunity of having Bobby in the White House.  What a loss.  He would have been a great president.  No, Bobby wasn't perfect and he wasn't a saint.  He had a heart, though.  He was compassionate, not narcissistic.  He was concerned about poverty, not about tax breaks for billionaires.

50 years have passed since RFK was murdered.  If he were alive today, I am certain that he would oppose the polices of the current President of the United States vigorously.  In an interview just before his death, Bobby was asked by David Frost about how his obituary should read.  He replied, "Something about the fact that I made a contribution to either my country or those who are less well off.  I think back to the way Camus wrote about the fact that perhaps this world is a world in which children suffer, but we can lessen the number of suffering children, and if you do not do this, then who will do this?  I'd like to feel that I'd done something to lessen that suffering."  Can you imagine Donald Trump saying anything like that?  I don't think so.

You are missed, Bobby.  The United States and the world could use your kind of leadership.


- Joanne

Are You Fluent in Monwy Slang?

Here's a quiz to test your knowledge of slang associated with different types of British and American currency.  Why not see how much you know.  Enjoy!

Joanne