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June 23, 2010

World Cup: What If…

Rajesh Jantilal / AFP / Getty Images

What if, in the midst of war and strife and suffering and inequality, we suddenly had a month, one whole month, in which the latest military-style encampments were pitched not by soldiers, but by sports fans, and people across the globe were actually drawn together by a sports tournament, situated on the poorest continent, empowering teams from the four corners as if they were all “first world.”

(caption: Tent City: Fans of the Australian team have formed a “home base” on this cricket ground in Durban, South Africa via TIME.com photogallery)

  • http://www.agrippinaminor.com/wp/ Wayne Dickson

    International sports competitions, where teams represent nation-states, don’t reduce ill-feeling and they are not the antithesis of war. They are war in disguise.

    They promote jingoism, ill-feeling, and even hatred. Not just figuratively. People are killed during and following soccer/football matches. Quite appropriate that these tents resemble a military encampment.

  • yg

    and yet, for some reason, we couldn’t manage to organize and put up tent cities in haiti.