Der Spiegel Football Leaks revelations

[Johnny J]

To answer your additional statement - speaking up about something that only affects you only when it affects you is not 'doing something about it'. Show me precisely what he has done to combat racism and when he's done so when it hasn't affected him directly.

So now it's not only his job to solve what he deems racist bias in the media regarding him, it's also his responsibility to do it on every other player's behalf too?

Your logic is that him speaking up doesn't count because he's only doing it after he himself feels he's been subject to racist bias, which makes no sense at all. Of course it counts.

 

[rez9000]

I'm sure you know this, but discrimination encompasses a wide spectrum of behaviors, express and implied, conscious and subconscious.

Racist chanting at a football match is express racism. You can easily identify it, though solving it is another matter.

Often however, racism is not overt or express. In these cases, there isn't a chant or a thrown banana or whatever you can point at as evidence. It's (much) more subtle, and the evidence is indirect. I see this all the time in employment situations. Relatively few people directly discriminate on the grounds of race, in employment. Far more discriminate indirectly, and often sub consciously. The evidence is built up from the relevant circumstances, including how other people without the protected characteristic in question - here, race - are treated.

I hate the term "playing the X card", which is often used to disempower people with genuine grievances, though I am not suggesting you're doing so here. He feels he is being treated unfairly due to his race. He might be wrong, he might be right, but he is entitled to his feelings, and articulating them is his right.

The fact that you can't find evidence that certain other footballers aren't suffering racist bias from the press doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Without wanting to sound rude, you appear to have a naive and simplistic view of racism.

So now it's not only his job to solve what he deems racist bias in the media regarding him, it's also his responsibility to do it on every other player's behalf too?

Your logic is that him speaking up doesn't count because he's only doing it after he himself feels he's been subject to racist bias, which makes no sense at all. Of course it counts.

I'm choosing not to take offence, Johnny, but you were a little condescending (although, God knows, I'm guilty of that myself, at times)

If you'll allow me, I'll give you a little background: before I became ill and had to adjust my workload, I was a trade union rep. I was equality lead for my branch and was being encouraged by my fellow branch members to run as a group representative for my union's national BAME committee. After becoming ill, I have been subject to disability discrimination - in my experience the most insidious form of workplace discrimination because the employer can cover it so well.

I've seen racism you would not believe. I've seen people reduced to tears, seen them develop mental health issues because of the stress, I've supported people in cases where they've been the subject of racist discrimination (and won!) and I've supported people who were punished for others accusing them of racism and I've even supported people who themselves have alleged racial discrimination but were found to have made false accusations. I've run the gamut.

And I've been the subject of racial harassment - I grew up on a council estate in North London in the 90s where my family and I were abused almost daily. I had eggs rubbed in my hair on the way to school. Was thrown to the ground and my shoes pulled off and left to walk home in my socks. Once, aged 9, I was pulled off my bike and smashed on the leg with a cricket bat. All of these incidents were to a chorus of racial slurs. And I've seen the scepticism in the policeman's eye when recounting the incidents. The real cherry on the cake was that I was 'accused' (ha!) of belonging to cultures I don't belong to. Called a n*****, even though I'm not black, called a Jew even though I'm not Jewish, called an Arab, even though I'm not an Arab.

I've seen the mind-boggling stupidity behind racism and discrimination, I've seen and experienced it's knuckle-dragging, moron face up close - what I call caveman racism. And I've seen the other type too - the smart, smarmy 'reasonable' face. The one where "her clothes are just a little loud, y'know - it's not because she's black", or the one where "he's just not got the leadership qualities, y'know - it's not because he's gay", or the one where "she wouldn't be able to handle the workload if she's always at the doctor, y'know - it's not because she's disabled". The little maggot of racism, I call it.

My entire political existence is predicated on the idea of equality. It is the foundation of everything I believe. And my view of racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, disability discrimination and the entire range of human follies has grown through first-hand experience and through seeing what it has done to people. So I would respectfully ask that you give me a little credit on that score.

However, that said, what you say about the manner in which discrimination happens is perfectly valid. In today's society, we're more likely to see racism (and other forms of discrimination) occur indirectly; as you say, often even subconsciously, because we have made the overt expression of it so toxic. Whether that approach is right or wrong is the subject of a different debate, but the essential fact is that overt acts of racist abuse are less common, and those with a racial motivation know it and so will more commonly act covertly, so no disagreement there.

But I disagree that it is happening in this case. There simply isn't enough evidence to support the charge. The reason I raise the other black players in the league is simple: footballers aren't the smartest people on Earth, by and large. I'm sure there will have been countless times where they've tripped up and done things that are stupid. Are we really to believe that of the (roughly) 170 black players, none have ever messed up and provided a possibly juicy story for the journos?

So why is it Sterling that keeps getting attacked? What, is he "blacker" than the other players? Or is it simply because he's a loudmouth? Which other player has gone on the BBC to engineer his transfer, showing disrespect to his manager and, more importantly, the fans of his club? That's why he's targeted.

And he did that to himself. When I say he makes himself a target, it's that kind of behaviour. And that's not victim-blaming, because he did it consciously and to gain advantage. He wasn't innocently going about his business. This isn't the same as a woman being accused of inviting an assault because she wore revealing clothing. Calling Sterling a victim because of his own conscious, direct, premeditated actions denigrates those people who actually do suffer victim-blaming. He would have known what the fallout of his actions that would be. Did he believe that Liverpool fans would have gone, "ah, aahright dere, aah kid, nice one, like" in response to that ludicrous interview? Why should he be shielded from the consequences - he made his bed, he has to lie in it.

On his racism diatribe, is there racist reporting in the media? Certainly from certain sectors about some of the socio-political situation (I'm looking at you, Daily Mail). But when it comes to the sports pages, I haven't seen it. That's not to say it isn't there, but I've not seen sufficient evidence to suggest there is. If presented with evidence of it, then I may well adjust my view. But I've presented a strong countervailing point supporting the idea that there isn't.

Yet Sterling makes the charge. Has he answered any of the following questions (if they've even been asked): why are the media supposedly fuelling racism? How are they doing it? Who is doing it? How often is it happening? Shouldn't these questions be asked of him? And shouldn't they be answered if he's made the accusation? Or is it enough solely to make the charge? Has our society degenerated to the point where the accusation alone is proof of guilt? (Although that's a rhetorical question, I'm sure, as a lawyer, you'll have strong views on that! )

And what really bites for me is that he is damaging the real fight against racism with foolish accusations like this. When I criticise him for not doing enough, it's not in the expectation that he joins the next anti-fascist rally, it's to suggest that it's not really racism he's concerned with - he's only concerned about himself. If he has an issue about a media attack, his response has been to make it about race. He's trying to leverage a significant societal problem just to elicit sympathy for himself. That's mendacious. And when I speak about the murderous regime his employers are the masters of, it's to highlight that mendacity and that it's not racism he's concerned with at all, just himself. And that cheapens the struggle and debases the suffering of the victims. It then gives the cavemen and the maggots alike a stick with which to beat those who have, and continue to, truly suffer discrimination.

Even if he's justified in criticising the media, he has no justification for using a serious problem that has cost so many people so much just to elicit sympathy. And herein he does have a responsibility: if he's made the charge, he needs to support it with evidence. Again, the accusation alone is not, and should not be, proof of guilt. And that's why it's justified to ask him what he's done about it. He doesn't have to set up a foundation, but he should present evidence. That evidence would help in fighting racism and discrimination. So if he has evidence, why hasn't he made an invaluable resource in the fight against racism and discrimination available? Or is that he simply doesn't have any? Occam's Razor, I would suggest.

If I were to accuse you of something, you'd expect me to provide evidence of that accusation. So where's Sterling's evidence?

 

[Lilbaz]

https://www.mcfcwatch.com/2018/12/2...-and-premier-league-share-information-report/