⚽️ Not So "Qomplicated"

People say that Qatar was a complicated choice to host the World Cup. I disagree.

It was an easy choice not to host the World Cup in Qatar.

The rest of the world exists. There were many other countries interested in hosting the World Cup. But Qatar’s wealth and a culture of corruption at FIFA led to the largest sporting event in the world being hosted in a country with a tiny physical footprint, insanely hot weather, and most importantly a legal regime that discriminates against women, LGBTQ people, and runs a system of “modern-day slavery” for its expatriate labor class.

Below I present the “qomplicated” arguments in favor of “sportswashing” and then a much simpler counterargument that clarifies the moral imperative for not choosing Qatar.

The Comparison Trap

Context: The government of Qatar does not recognize same-sex marriage. Any public display of same-sex affection is illegal in the country and punishable with a three year prison term as well as a fine. If the perpetrator is Muslim, the judge may impose capital punishment.

The “Qomplicated” Argument: The first w…