A World Learning Course for USA

This blog is strictly about soccer/futbol (and perhaps an occasional line or two about hockey). I refrain as best I can from delving off into the world of politics and international relations. However, given the global presence of the beautiful game and ever shrinking global economies the game operates within, there will be times when I must indulge in a little bit of futbol and government corruption.

Here in the US we are facing what could very well likely be a major turning point in history. Hapless leadership has brought us to the brink of the Great Depression - the Sequel. Our government only cares about big corporations and oil, the average American is only thought about during an election year and then it is only in reference to figuring out what lies we will believe. Our country has become a land of fanatical fundamentalists who care more about preserving their own self-interests than in using our abundant resources to better the world we live in. So often, these fundamentalists cry for the end of abortion yet wave their flags and sing patriotic songs as our country kills innocent men, women and children in a far away Arab land.

All this turmoil in the US seems to be leading us down the road which many European countries have already been. Russia, Spain, France and much of Eastern Europe have experienced the widening gap between rich and poor leading to a revolution or a major change in the leadership and economy of their lands. When this happens, what role does the poor or lower middle class citizen play? Often times, they are left helpless on the sidelines only to do the bidding of the ruling class. For the first time in our short history as a nation, a majority of Americans are facing this very prospect. Under George W. Bush we have lost our freedoms, our dignity, our access to health care and our money. In response, all we will soon be able to do is rely on Big Brother for everything.

Learning from the rest of the world it seems the only voice some of us may have left is through sport. The worldwide phenomena of a sporting club representing a particular ethnic, economic or social group has been largely absent in the history of American sports. Within the next decade I fully anticipate that changing. A feeling of powerlessness amongst an ever growing society of poor Americans will lead to certain teams being identified with people groups who are in many ways oppressed.

The silver lining in the dark cloud of American politics is this...I look for soccer to become a sport of passion, angst and tribal identity. This will be good for the sport (and other sports) in this country but will it be able to be controlled? Will the US soon be plagued with massive crowd violence, rioting and murders around the stadiums? I hope the answer is no, but I fear it is already happening.