The world has gone totally mad, hasn’t it? Ever since the “US citizen-without-a-passport”, Edward Snowden, went public and gradually released his material about global spying, institutionalized by US and UK spooks at the NSA and GCHQ, a storm of aggression has hit him and the US alike.
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe (and somewhat ridiculous to compare with issues of real concern), a handful of people continue digging and investigating for a very handsome fee – what exactly? In a repetitive attempt, like hamsters in ring, these good men still try to find out whether Russia or Qatar or both did everything by the book, or whether – God forbid – some foul play was involved in 2010 when the bidding to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups had come to an end.
Of course it matters whether the two winners played fair. Let’s repeat that, of course it matters. And of course it matters whether some notoriously greedy folk were handed more than just a powerful presentation to arrive at the right conclusion. And that, of course, matters above all to the losers, doesn’t it?
Therefore, it makes maximum sense to appoint a team from the very country that lost (not only its reputation – see Snowden), to investigate the very country(ies) that won. Simplz. As Boris the meerkat would say.
No matter how much Mr. Putin tried his utmost recently to appease his newly-discovered friends, when he said that Snowden was welcome in Russia as long as he didn’t release any further information that would lead to further upsetting his “American partners”: pretty much the same American partners that he so cherishes of late, have been digging around feverishly to find some dirt on the bidding executed by some of his top people.
But why this effort? Why interview former and present ExCo Members, meet some of them at US airports, issue a subpoena or two, hammer away at past grandees, investigate travel and travel companions, hotel bookings and credit card expenses – why all of that?
Wouldn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t it be done much cheaper, easier, faster and with total accuracy?
Mr Snowden showed us the way, did he not? If the US, the UK, the French and the Germans and no doubt the Italians, the Spaniards – everybody! – was/is systematically downloading, storing, analysing all the meta-data of every citizen that walks this planet, if 1.7 billion phone records and emails are seized per day alone in the US – and half a billion in the UK – and hundreds of millions more in other European states that have apparently forgotten their Constitutions too, if all of that is fact, then why bother with a team of highly paid professionals to do all of the legwork?
Call in the NSA (as if you had to…). File a request (nothing easier than that) and review the phone records, emails and God knows what else of everybody and anybody who could have been involved in virtually anything.
Be that talking to his lover, chatting with his child or whispering about secret bank accounts.
All the exorbitant costs could have been avoided, one now learns! All the effort by solid professionals could have been spared! All of the legwork by sophisticated men could have been forgotten! A simple request to the NSA, the GCHQ, the BND or any of the other good people who protect us 24/7, would have clearly sufficed.
We’d have had a reliable result, proven facts, irrefutable evidence.
But maybe not evidence of wrong-doing, unfortunately (that too, can be fixed).
Maybe those bidders didn’t lie. Maybe they were just better than the rest of the field? Maybe there is nothing to be found? Maybe it is all a smoke-screen to achieve what again?
Comforting to know that there are so many good people out there who are willing and able to protect us? And here we are, refusing to think of them as the true white knights in shining armour! The real sources, the collectors of evidence! The Men who know!
Therefore, FIFA, why don’t you have a change of heart and call in the real Sturmtruppen, get a helping hand: it is there, it can be approached, it must be done! Or do we all want to live a life on the fringes, with the horrible uncertainty of not knowing when knowing would be so easy?
Think again, FIFA, call in the real professionals – and end this painful waiting-game. Let’s nail them. And if the NSA & Co cannot – nobody can. Done, over and out. Convicted, no trial needed.