https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/socceroos-football-australia-speak-out-on-qatar-s-human-rights-record-20221025-p5bsph.html

Don’t go then. Otherwise “shut up and dribble”.

yer its pretty hypicritical - oh but I'll pocket my $ might add.
The badgers of honour pros have today.

I dunno, I'd rather some sort of objection, then nothing at all.

So do we assume those 15 (excluding Alex Wilkinson as he's there as PFA President) are on the plane? Poor form if not. Seems a very random selection of players, and very fringe types.

Sure alot of them are.
But Irvine? Rowles? Ryan? They aren't fringe.

I should have inserted "some", or even "mostly" fringe players in the signatories. Still, interesting the message this sends to the playing group given it seems to have the imprimatur of the FA.

brilliant. just brilliant. 

cause thats going to change anything lol...

if anything, Australia's WC tour just got a little more 'difficult' 

Better than doing/saying nothing like some 

Migrant workers have faced oppressive conditions in Qatar and many died while building infrastructure, stadiums and making other preparations for the tournament, although the precise number is hotly contested. The Guardian has estimated that as many as 6500 workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have passed away in Qatar since it was given the World Cup in 2010 – but the tournament’s organising committee says only three people died on-site while building stadiums. The International Labor Organisation has independently found that 50 workers lost their lives in 2020, and more than 500 were severely injured.


Slight disparity in deaths claimed.

Either 3 people, 50 people or 6500 people.

Member since 2008.

Very good to take a stand. Keep in mind, the athletic clothes that we all proudly wear are from those environments and conditions as well.

Wow... that will show the Qataris...

I suppose the Socceroos could go as  special forces unit and take out the oppressive regime, or just go and compete in the WC.

At least the Danes made an all black strip to signify death, this just shows how weak we are imo.

Great to see, let's hope other national teams follow suit and take a stand too.

They have. Some a lot stronger that this lettuce leaf whack

I disagree, if anything none of the nations that have qualified have shown the balls to speak up about it like the Socceroos players have just done.

Denmark got an alternative jersey but we need more.

Well, yeah fair enough - it's mostly unqualified countries like Norway who have made strong protests (multiple).

Well done, Socceroos!

I worked in the ME for a while.

The conditions for imported construction workers are shocking in their scorching summers. 

Well ,  if   they   didn' t   want    to   kick   us    out   of   Asia    before ,   they   will   now .. .

Netherlands protesting by wearing a black jersey signifying death is fair enough but, the Aussies put their faces in front of the camera and directly put themselves out there for others to hear it.
The boys should just make sure they go to the toilet or anywhere in groups because the low lives from over there might get ideas.

These stunts are more about virtue signalling rather than trying to enforce change. Religion is the bedrock of those societies, I dont think they will pay too much attention to some deeply amoral, godless, abortion loving country like Australia trying to lecture it.

Can you imagine if countries did a similar thing for the Australia WC with regards to the treatment of asylum seekers and climate change policies? We would rightly tell those people to fuck off yeah? 

I dont understand the current trend of publicly dissing countries or sponsors, but then turning up at their door step expecting to make bank. What’s the message here? You are terrible and we hate you but we love money more? If we accept the invitation to attend Qatar, then we should show appropriate decorum, courtesy and respect to our hosts. Whatever happened to saying thank you?

I agree it's virtue signalling garbage but I imagine the idea is if you draw attention to injustices that are occurring something will hopefully change. Because these poor bloody workers in these countries (and others) are fucked sideways by these pricks.

There's plenty of examples of 'virtue signalling' campaigns that have forced companies and countries to do things they ordinarily wouldn't do.

To take an unrelated example the single use plastic ban would never have been achieved if it wasn't for 'social justice warriors' banging on about it.

But your overarching point is correct. No country with religion as it's bedrock institution is going to listen to a bunch of clowns from Australia who are telling them to accept same sex relationships.

True but you've also got the virtue signalers in the boardrooms agitating for it, and the board is always concerned about bad press, boycotts etc impacting share price etc. The basis of such decisions are usually appeasing the vultures and commercial interests rather than some great moral deed.

As for Qatar, you're doing the exact opposite. No one is going to be influenced by heathens and infidels destined for hell lecturing them about morals and ethics.

Nobody in Australia is going to stop China committing cultural genocide against muslim minorities either. Should we just be silent on that too? 

Not sure if you noticed, they hosted a shit load of international tournament over the last 10 years, no one said boo about the Human rights record.

They should. 

But didn't, and still don't.

I think they do, I think China's human rights issues are well documented.
I know I've been in Europe & when some people find out I'm from Australia, they think we are a racist country because of our treatment of the Asylum seekers & the our Indigenous first nation people. 

 What sporting protests have existed for china

The same protests there is for Qatar, condemnation of a regime. China during the Beijing Olympics did not get away scott free, there was huge condemnation of their regime.

Spot on!!!!!

For the record, abortion is legal in Qatar.

Snaffled from Wiki;
Qatar's penal code ratified this convention in 1971 by legalizing abortion in cases where the mother's life would be saved. Furthermore, a law formalized in 1983 states that abortions may be legally performed on pregnancies of less than four months duration if the pregnancy were to cause serious harm to the mother's health if continued, or if there was evidence that the child would be born with untreatable mental or physical deficiencies and both parents consented to the abortion

Modern, pro-choice freedom with this but backwards when it comes to gays and workers rights. What a country 

Good on them for sticking to their principles and doing something about it by going there to play.

Australia and the socceroo players should be the last people lecturing other countries about human rights issues. 

How quickly people forget the past two years in this country regarding human rights and freedoms lol. 

play football and STFU. 

Once again you lot demonstrate your defence of "freedom of speech" only applies if its something you agree with. 

You Lot? lol

Yep, you lot. You, Rusty, Enzo and whoever on this forum and in the wider community that blames everything bad in society on "wokeness". 

Its good living rent free....haha.

Mate -figure of speech so don't get too excited-this is simply NFT. 

These players are not being genuine, because they are unwilling to actually DO anything that might- at least- be seen to make a difference.  In fact they are happy to take the money playing in stadiums built on  the bodies of dead poor people..

Hypocrisy.  That's modern wokeness in a nutshell..

There was so much wrong with this World Cup when it was given to Qatar, we're supposed to be outraged, now?

While I agree with your first point, on your second - you guys are chanting ‘for the homeland’ the other week etc. 

and what does kneeling to BLM and Gay Pride have to do with football? 

Politics in football, only when you agree with them....

That's exactly what you have just shown yourself to do.

Yeah but that's something to affects him so its perfectly fine.

Can someone tell me if there was a  joint statement before the knockout WC qualifiers in Qatar in June this year? Did all these appalling human rights violations happen after the Peru game maybe?
Agree with the sentiment expressed BTW but I have no respect for bullshit virtue signalling..... 

Tom Carroll sacrificed a world surfing title by refusing to compete in South Africa during apartheid. 

Releasing a video and then going anyway doesn't cut it.

respect to TC - but the World Surfing title is contested every year - not every 4. And Carroll ended up winning 2 world titles still. If Roos boycott qatar it’s  the last WCUP that some of the players will probably ever have chance to play in 

That is a good point 

Interesting that a WC/WCQ match is worth missing for your missus, and cause you don't want to isolate for JMAc, but the deaths of 6500 people just get the old mobile phone message

I'm all for shaming the shit out of them.

I just think this could have been more effective 4 years ago before 6500 people died.

That being said better late then never, the SJW can get the warm fuzzies about playing sport in a country that shits on gays, because the players said 6 weeks before it they don't like it.

Exactly.

Frankly, Qatar should have lost the hosting rights ages ago. Letting Qatar enjoy the privilege of hosting this is to spit the faces of those who've lost loved ones for the sake of building a fucking football stadium. And, aside from that, I think sportswashing is dangerous; 1936 Berlin Olympics, FIFA World 2018 in Russia, 2022 Winter Olympics in China.

After Biden was elected, I would have been pleased if the Australian Government had liaised closely with and the US Government and UK Government and sought to boycott this World Cup while Qatar were hosts (or at least to threaten FIFA with that). So basically, AUKUS countries + any other interested countries; e.g. Germany, Nordics.

To say - FIFA, we intend to do our best to qualify... but we reserve the right to boycott, should this tournament take place in  Qatar. Should we pursue that course of action, we will prevent any airing of the event on TV networks in our country.

It would've fucked FIFA over massively (losing participation and TV deal potential from the UK nations and USA, other European countries, too). They would have had to strip Qatar of the rights and simply make the WC happen in England or somewhere like that.

This is token virtue-signalling rubbish at it sbest.

We all condemn the appalling human rights records of places like Qatar - which rely on shocking modern slave labour to build their shiny cities - but when all is said and done, we turn up, pay the money, compete in the tournament, and join in the whitewash. Yay!

Its hilarious how some people believe Virtue Signalling or being Woke is a bad thing when the opposite is true.

It’s also hilarious when people say “Well why aren’t you boycotting???” There is hardly a country in the world that doesn’t have a bad human rights issue on something. Many countries claim Australia is a human rights abuser due to our stance of offshore detention. Will a country boycott us next year? I bet not. Will anyone speak up about it? Maybe. 

While SSM and homosexuality is legal here, there are political parties and religious entities that wanna legally discriminate against gays and bring back things such as conversation therapy.

That depends on what you understand it to be. "Calling it out" or "releasing a statement" at no personal risk or cost or- worse- participating and benefiting in the very thing they're opposed to IS bad thing because they're not being genuine about it.  Craig Foster is donating his WC broadcast pay to the families of the dead workers.

Carol and Ali were two examples in this thread of sportsmen who boycotted thing they were genuinely against and at personal risk and cost.  They weren't virtue signalling.

I realise this is an autocorrect thing but I did laugh.

Just what would 'conversation therapy' consist of? Being strapped in a chair and have Enzo and Rusty lecture you on how the 'woke left are ruining western civilisation'?
 

No, the therapy would be needed after.

Can I just say, disagreeing with the deaths of 6500 people is not being woke. 

Saying anything about equality for fair treatment of anyone is woke.

Unless you're a rugby league player using "religious freedom" as an excuse to hate the gays.  In that case, you're a hero.

No its the pretentiousness of the comfortable middle class who say things about but do nothing that might affect their lifestyle and indeed owe their lifestyles to inequality.

As for Folau, 1. he didn't "hate" anyone and 2. the Constitution doesn't elevate discrimination of one type (sexuality) to a higher standing than another (religious freedom and expression)

Falou was also contractual obliged not to say anything stupid or inciting.
I'm ex-navy if I said something stupid on Facebook I would have got the flick, I know of sailors that did.

Falou didn't say anything stupid or inciting  Hence the payout he received. reportedly $4 million.

As for the navy  Falou 1. didn't work for the government and 2. didn't say anything stupid.

he didn't he said his comments in his 'own church' not wearing the jersey and not directly to the media, his contact being torn up is the biggest disgrace in Sporting history. 


thus he was paid millions in settlement because of the fact he didnt breech his contract directly 

From a 'purely' Rugby  point of view i would prefer to keep politics and religious belief  out of Rugby and i do not support his protest - . - This is Rugby not Mardi gra - keep your  politics, religious dogma, Fun police, Daddy's a minster  and any other shit out of it.

Did you hear this before

i agree, i didnt bring this up im just following the conversation 

but I from a purely Rugby Point of view bar him being a rugby player it has nothing to do with Rugby..... that is the point 

the Socceroos in this video have put rainbow culture at the helm of football....if you cannot see the difference im sorry your fucken idiot  

for me keep politics out of sport if you wanted to do a protest away from football that would be fine but otherwise this has just put a target on the Socceroos back  

i do wonder why people get so 'touchy' about Religion, political parties, Rainbow shit, woke culture etc keep it away from sport it has no place in the game players can be gay, Religious, vote ALP/Greens/LNP, socialist etc away from the pitch and the sport but when it comes to the sport itself it should be 100 neutral on all issues  

 

Wow you now starting to insult people because they don't agree with you, so who is the fucken idiot?

So it's Ok for a person to have an opinion, not an organisation after discussing with the individuals?

If you think Sport & politics don't mix, I suggest you read some history books, start with the 1936, 1968, 1972, 1980 1984 Olympics, the 1978 world cup, the Sth African apartied, India v Pakinstan in Cricket, the waterpolo game between Russia & Hungary. I could go on & on & not even reach this 'WOKE' period you are so worried about.
Let's stay with football, what was the Celtic v Rangers rivalry, the NSL Serbian v Croatian rivalry on the football field, The England v Scotland games in the old Home internationals. Football & sport go hand in hand with politics throughout history.
Bit of advice Champ, when not happy with discussion don't insult people, either continue in civil manner or move on.

You got tetchy that someone called you champ and consistently blow your top over the smallest issues if someone has an opposing point of view.

It does seem to always be the way with the tough guy anti woke brigade aha jaws of glass projecting their weakness outwards

Better look that one up again champ. He was terminated for an Instagram post that quoted Corinthian.

He was paid because the legal proceeding were draining a bankrupt Rugby Australia (they were $20m in debt when they settled), rugby Australia couldn't continue down the legal path.