Some years ago, I had a brilliant conversation with one of my oldest and closest friends, Ross Anderson.
We were discussing our despair at the state of the world (something that Ross and I would discuss often) but realised we were coming from a position of extraordinary privilege.
I was beating myself up about something or other and Ross was challenging me by saying “but it’s the governments job to tax us as much as it wants to pay for the things that are right”.
Ross said all we could do was vote for the right people and then expect them to do the right thing which would be a wonderful system if it actually worked.
In general, nations get the governments that they deserve and it’s fascinating to watch what’s happening in the current political situation in the United Kingdom where they try to balance peoples massive urge to have as much money in their pocket as they can and to be taxed as little as possible yet to have full access to public services and a sustainable nation, culture and society.
And so, the question is “is it my job or is it their job?” and then you turn round and the World Cup in Qatar is about to begin.
It’s quite easy for me to boycott the World Cup because my team didn’t qualify and so I would be in a much more difficult position if I was ‘looking forward’ to a group game against England as my friends from Wales are.
And it’s easy for Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, to say it’s nothing to do with the players and this is just their job and to say that it’s the fault of all the authorities that allowed this to happen.
And it’s fine for Gary Neville to say that it’s better being inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in (massive paraphrase) when he’s getting paid to commentate in Qatar and already has much more money than sense (clearly).
And then there’s Beckham.
I used to use a Beckham story and video in much of my lecturing on the business course and also as a tool to explain to people how important it is to practice your practical trade.
But I won’t be using it anymore.
Beckham struck a 10-year deal with Qatar to be the face of the World Cup and beyond at 15 million a year because he needed a bit more money???
Lionel Messi signed an even greater deal with Saudi Arabia for similar returns.
And so, this would all mean that it’s ok for us to do anything we want and it’s up to the authorities to stop us if it’s immoral or unjust or even moderately questionable.
And it would all seem great if we were coming from a situation where our country was whiter than white and where everything our government or our administrators did was perfect, and we had the moral high ground.
And so, flash to Joe Lycett and the link here. He posted a video on Instagram that someone brought to my attention to David Beckham.
Joe Lycett took £10,000 of his own money which is probably about the same sort of ratio as 15 million to David Beckham and told him that if Beckham withdrew from his support of Qatar, he would give the money to charities promoting support for gay footballers.
This is a cause (apparently) close to David Beckhams heart as a has been gay icon but what Lycett also said is that if he didn’t, he would shred the money live on screen so that it went to no one.
This is brave whether you agree with it or not.
Shredding money is a crime.
It’s been done before by the KLF where they burned a million pounds on video but what it will do is raise huge awareness about David Beckhams choices and what he is now prepared to do to gain as much money as he possibly can by any means necessary before it’s too late.
David Beckhams career has become a metaphor for what society looks like.
Morality washing on one side, gathering the maximum number of resources on the other.
Isn’t that why the World Cup is in Qatar and isn’t that why we have problems not only at the top of our society in the UK but all the way through.
Blog Post Number - 3268
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