Untold Dangers
South African locals look forward to welcoming World Cup fans By Sarah: Maid of Albion
Following my earlier post about South Africa, I felt it was worth re-posting here an article on a similar subject which I wrote for my own blog back in February regarding the forthcoming world Cup in 2010, which, as we all know, is taking place in that country .
UNTOLD DANGERS
If it wasn't so unlikely, it would be interesting to speculate as to whether charges of whatever the relevant equivalent is of negligent homicide, or even culpable homicide will end up being brought against FIFA and much of the Western media who are currently promoting the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, without the slightest hint of warning.
Whenever the subject comes up, film of beaming, friendly looking South African youth appears on TV, and South Africa is mentioned as a vibrant young democracy, and the country itself portrayed as some sort of Disney style theme park.
No mention yet of the fact that South Africa has become one of the most dangerous crime ridden places on earth which is not yet a failed state. Muggings and robbery exceed anything we know in the West many times over, murder is running at seven times the current rate in America, whilst the numbers of rapes are ten times as high, and much higher than that that in terms of both child rape and male on male rape.
Given the rapid deterioration of the situation, the rates are likely to be even higher by 2010.
Do you think these things will be mentioned? I doubt it, our media has too much invested in promoting their own fantasy vision of the rainbow nation without allowing the risk to a few dozen (or more) lives to make them break a habit of a life time and tell the truth.
We are lead to believe that the most important issue is whether enough poor people will be able to afford tickets to the games, whereas the really important issue is how many visitors will get home with life, limb and property still intact. Where are the warnings about avoiding urban areas, staying in groups, only carrying the money you need to and not letting anyone see that you own a camera or mobile phone?.
The lack of caution is particularly reckless considering the normal behaviour of football fans when the visit foreign cities. They instinctively want to go down town, explore, find a bar and then get drunk and vulnerable. In much of South Africa such behaviour by Westerners is the equivalent of an antelope walking up to a pride of lions drenched in a honey and mustard dressing with a garlic bulb up its a##.
However, it is exactly what fans will do if they are not warned not to, and I am not hearing any warnings so far.
Let us hope that the fans have guardian angels looking out for them, as, on present showing, it seem unlikely that the media, FIFA or the Government have any intention of doing so.
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Whenever the subject comes up, film of beaming, friendly looking South African youth appears on TV, and South Africa is mentioned as a vibrant young democracy, and the country itself portrayed as some sort of Disney style theme park.
No mention yet of the fact that South Africa has become one of the most dangerous crime ridden places on earth which is not yet a failed state. Muggings and robbery exceed anything we know in the West many times over, murder is running at seven times the current rate in America, whilst the numbers of rapes are ten times as high, and much higher than that that in terms of both child rape and male on male rape.
Given the rapid deterioration of the situation, the rates are likely to be even higher by 2010.
Do you think these things will be mentioned? I doubt it, our media has too much invested in promoting their own fantasy vision of the rainbow nation without allowing the risk to a few dozen (or more) lives to make them break a habit of a life time and tell the truth.
We are lead to believe that the most important issue is whether enough poor people will be able to afford tickets to the games, whereas the really important issue is how many visitors will get home with life, limb and property still intact. Where are the warnings about avoiding urban areas, staying in groups, only carrying the money you need to and not letting anyone see that you own a camera or mobile phone?.
The lack of caution is particularly reckless considering the normal behaviour of football fans when the visit foreign cities. They instinctively want to go down town, explore, find a bar and then get drunk and vulnerable. In much of South Africa such behaviour by Westerners is the equivalent of an antelope walking up to a pride of lions drenched in a honey and mustard dressing with a garlic bulb up its a##.
However, it is exactly what fans will do if they are not warned not to, and I am not hearing any warnings so far.
Let us hope that the fans have guardian angels looking out for them, as, on present showing, it seem unlikely that the media, FIFA or the Government have any intention of doing so.
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