Tag: Politics

87. How we see disagreement

87. How we see disagreement

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This has been a bloody awful year.

You kids are great. My life is great. But all around are signs that bloodshed, violence, anger, and alienation from our fellow men is increasing.

Dear Boys,

The war in Ukraine (against Russia and the man Alex has dubbed “Vladmir Poo-Poo-Putin”) has reached a stage of bloody attrition, with mounting death tolls for Russia and mounting apathy for allies of the invaded Ukranians.

An invasion of Israel to abduct civilians (including children like yourselves) has led a nation founded as a refuge to relentlessly attack civilians (including children like yourselves) in Gaza who are being used as human shields by terorrists.

There is a brutal genocide happening in Sudan, a rise in political extremism throughout Europe and Latin America, and rumblings of other invasions by other powers.

And against this backdrop, so many people have become absolutists in the inviobility of their positions. They are certain that they are right and all others are wrong. There is no room for nuance. No space for moderation. No tolerance for complexity. Any public questions or doubts are traitorous.Any silence in response to an attack is just passive warmongering.

This absolutism is maddeningly consistent for both sides of every argument. The loudest voices don’t agree on what is happening or what should be done, but they do agree that anyone who doesn’t support their point of view is awful.

This bizarre discord in our world appears everywhere. I even see it reiterated on the soccer pitch. In this case, in the presence of Roundglass Punjab.

Punjab is a beautiful corner of India. I lived and taught just to the east of it, and I count the trips I took into the state (including Chandigargh and Amritsar) to be some of the highlights of my time spent on the subcontinent.

Punjab has long stood apart from the rest of the country. The language (Punjabi) is not the same as the dominant national language (Hindi). The economy is not the same as the increasingly modernized economy (agriculture v. information processing). Most importantly of all, the religions are different.

Me in Amritsar, at the holy shrine of Sikhism, the Golden Temple in 2006
(the history of its building, destruction, and rebuilding, is directly related to this essay)

In Punjab, the primary faith is Sikhism, a faith of tolerance and peace in the spirit of founder Guru Nanak. Throughout most of the rest of India, the primary faith is Hinduism, a faith of tolerance and peace that has marked the world for about 4,000 years. Despite their shared values, there has been a long history of dispute and dissent between those who want to carve out a part of Punjab to become a Sikh nation (Khalistan) and a group that does not. These disputes led to violent attacks, terrorism and assassination back in the 1980s but largely eased by the time I was living there (my work visas were approved by the government of Sikh Prime Minister Manmohan Singh).

However, with the rise of Narendra Modi (Singh’s successor) and his political view that considers Hinduism and India to be one in the same…things get blurry. Advocates for Sikhism get some dubious looks. And doubly so if they happen to advocate for Punjab to separate from India and become its own nation.

So how do you handle this? The long history of rebellion and violence is scary…so should you attack and destroy the thing that scares you? Should you demonize and eliminate the dissent that could lead to danger?

Obviously, I would answer no. Unfortunately (if predictably in 2023), it looks like Modi’s government is answering yes.

Dangers are real. Historical pain and conflict are real too. The fear of unrest, further violence, and death is undoubtedly a real feeling. I have no problem admitting that there are real things to worry about, and that worry itself is real too.

But unity is also real. Teamwork is real too. The human ability to grow and understand and collaborate is really, really real.

After all, right now, in the same city where Narendra Modi sits and stews and supervises those so afraid that they lash out in murderous rage across an ocean (I’m not saying he’s involved directly…relax Modi-stans), there’s a team playing. A team coached by a Greek, captained by a Slovenian, led in attack by a Frenchman and a Spaniard, and with a first choice defense of Matharatis, Keralans, and Nepalis. This team’s home field, under renovation in Punjab, is named for the Sikh Guru, and its instagram is chock-a-block with videos of the team’s outreach to rural villages in the state. In each one, you can see young Punjabi kids learning the game and laughing with each other.

Punjab FC may play in New Delhi (for now), but they clearly care about their community, in the same way Sikh separatists do. It seems highly likely that there are Sikh separatists who cheer the Shers every match day, and may mix discussion of their political goals with conversations about Juan Mera’s dip in production.

Looks like a pretty positive force to me

Since soccer clubs bind up a community and communities often have political goals (see Barcelona, Rangers/Celtic, and even Minnesota United), this could be worrying. If you look at the world with fear: fear of unrest, upheaval, unified opposition and dangerous dissent…you can see Roundglass Punjab as a revolutionary organization in the making.

But if you look at the world with appreciation and optimism, a respect for free will, and a connection between all people regardless of their politics…you can see Roundglass Punjab as revolutionary organization in the making…one that can make the whole nation better.

There are Sikh separatists who are dangerous, and there are Sikh separatists who are not. There are Modi-stans who let their fear drive them to crime, and there are those who do not. There are Palestinans and Israelis, Ukranians and Russians, Sudanese, Korean, Venezuelan, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hungarian people who abhor war and authoritarianism and strive to create peace each and every day. They do so by remembering the opportunity of each day and the truth that disagreement is not diabolical.

67. Feel the Power

67. Feel the Power

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

You boys have a great fondness for super heroes.

Dear Boys,

I mean, who doesn’t? Superheroes are awesome. Your uncles and I often spent afternoons being Batman, Robin and any number of different bad guys. You boys prefer Spiderman (he is cooler, to be honest) and also have room in your hearts for PJ Masks, Ms Marvel, and your own inventions: Builder Spider [Spiderman with construction powers], and Red Cape.

Superheroes are cool, and superhero stories are great. But there’s something that can get confused in the fun of saving the day.

Powers are fun, and the heroes behind them are often great. But power isn’t part of people.

Super heroes tend to come by their powers in unusual ways (radioactive spider bites, other worldly mists, tragic backstories plus ninja training, magical pajamas…) but all of them are people first, and then empowered people. Heroes hold on to their humanity and don’t confuse themselves with their powers.

With good reason. Power can make someone more than a person. Give them enough power and it can make them feel and seem superior. When that power embeds itself in a person it becomes easier and easier to confuse yourself for the power you enjoy and justify all manner of unfair habits, tactics, and tendencies.

Superpowers are easy enough to see as imaginary. But there’s a real problem with power in the real world too. In our world lot’s of people have power, and even more want it. That power might be physical, it might be political, it might be social, it might be economic. Once people have it they start to obsess over holding on to it. And when people confuse themselves with the power they hold, they can be downright dangerous.

Christian Streich knows power lies within (bayernstrikes.com)

Consider, the ways that soccer coaches struggle to acknowledge that they’ve made a mistake. You might find the occasional coach (Citowicki or Streich) who owns their mistakes, but many others find a way to turn it around and blame it on the players they work with (cou*Heath*gh!). It can save your job, it can keep your power. But to what end?

You can see it among players too. Players who earn a bevy of awards and heaps of praise have a tendency to see themselves as bigger than the game. It’s why many players end up in trouble: their power creates a sense that they are more than others, and then they forget what other people need (witness tax evasion, blackmail, mafia connections, and assault).

The man behind the “muscle” (The Economist)

At it’s worst, this obsession with power can drive a whole country off the rails. I certainly see it in domestic politics as people ignore what’s good for the country as a whole when there’s a political point to be scored. Even worse is the poop butt in Russia whose need for consistent power has led him to attack innocent neighbors and endanger his own soldiers for no reason other than increasing his empire and his need for validation.

There’s so many examples of power corrupting, twisting minds and actions to their worst ends that it’s easy to come away with a cynical view. But I have hope.

I believe that human nature is good. I believe that our shared humanity will lead us to do the right thing, even though our individual desires beckon us to do the wrong thing. Above all else I see you boys planning all kinds of ways to “save the day” and I think, “power doesn’t have to corrupt, you just have to know that it’s something you use, not something you keep.”

64. Forces of Change, Changing your Force

64. Forces of Change, Changing your Force

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A few weeks ago, while driving into work, I heard a summary of political philosophy that neatly captured what I see in society, soccer, and myself.

Put simply: everyone wants to act in response to problems we see. Progressives want to do something while conservatives want to stop something in progress or undo something that’s been done.

Dear Boys,

I’m not about to pretend which point of view I prefer (particularly in politics–hint it starts with a P and ends with “rogressive”.) But as the pundits pointed out both instincts can lead to unintended consequences.

Je pense le meme Adrien (from the Athletic)

Start with my progressive view. Like a lot of folks I want to see my teams make some changes when they struggle. That’s when I start begging for Alebrijes to switch their system, or for the Loons to sign a big striker, or for Ross County to bring in a new coach.

But those changes that many in fan bases yearn for don’t yield immediate results and fail as often as they succeed. Alebrijes might not have the players to make any system work. Adrien Hunou might not find the goal for a couple months. Your team may hire a racist…etc. etc.

The conservative approach is no less fraught. The glory days are so enticing that it’s natural to want to go back. Bring back Jessy Benet in Grenoble, increase the focus on the men’s team at Rosenborg, or undo the appointment of the manager with a few weeks under his belt (see: Tottenham Hotspur).

These too assume that everything can return to the way they were (despite the fact that context, and surroundings, and everything else has changed around them). Jessy’s got a new club. Rosenborg aren’t the league titans they once were. Tottenham’s squad isn’t the fresh faced world beaters they were a few years ago.

This is not possible

The same is true at a personal level.

The more I try to make things the way that I want them to be, the more I struggle, grapple, and grow frustrated.

Whether it’s control in the classroom, or getting you boys to brush your teeth when I want you to, the more I try to do/undo something, the less likely I am to do anything differently.

But, when I accept that things are the way they are, and my role is to bring my full self to them, the more I add to the space, add to the experience, and change it for the better.

Being present with you is so much more meaningful for all of us (and makes brushing fun). Sending love and concern into my classroom yields much more than exerting control over the situation.

On the pitch too, bringing your full self into a space can create a better, more valuable experience for everyone. Think of Coach Citowicki in Missoula, whose manners and approach have given kids at a smaller school professional opportunities and enabled a transition from one generation to the next (see Claire Howard and Camila Xu).

When you are fully present rather than distracted by what you want to make happen, you find a pleasure in what is. The Griz can see that Big Sky titles are beautiful themselves. Freiburg’s loyalty and appreciation of the understated Christian Streich has built the environment for their best season in years.

We get caught up talking about and fixating on the forces of change: how the world ought to be and what tools to make it so. We want to be a force for change in the world. But hard as it is, I believe we ought to resist that temptation, and instead of being a force for change, change your force to quiet grace.

24. Stick to Society

24. Stick to Society

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Dear Boys,

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been focused almost entirely on talking to you about the serious work to be done confronting systemic racism, and working to dismantle it. And yet, I also work in references to and lessons from sports.

That might seem incongruous. Serious issues deserve serious consideration, and sports is anything but serious. These are children’s games being played for the amusement of the masses. Some wonder if the distraction of sports would allow us to pursue the change we have to make.

They have a point that Nancy Armour sums up well. Too often we flip past the dire news of death, destruction, and dehumanization in favor of a quick recap of the days scores and highlights. We shouldn’t be consumed with sports.

Always smile when I think of George and Timothy Weah.

But we also need to remember that without solace, entertainment, or amusement we wouldn’t have the capacity to keep working as we do. Taking a break from the protest, even for five minutes to talk about who scored a screamer or how to contain a problem like Bayern Munich, isn’t selfish, it’s a momentary act of self-care, one that can lighten a heavy heart and give us a new way to see things. Some people find that in art, some in music, and you can see it in sports too.

Of course, there are those who bemoan using sports for anything more than the distraction it provides. There are people who want to safe-harbor of sports to shield them from the stormy world beyond. You’ll recognize them groaning every time an athlete says more than “you know, you gotta play as a team” or “we just gave it our all.” If they have the temerity to speak up, or speak out, there’s major frustration all encapsulated by the phrase “stick to sports”.

But sports have always been political because life is always political.

Sports were political in 1936 when Adolf Hitler tried to assert the dominance of the white race only for Jesse Owens to crush the Aryan champions and the world records.

Jack and the Little Colonel

Sports were political in 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and Pee Wee Reese stood beside him in front of every hostile stadium. (As well as in 1901 when Charlie Grant tried to play, only to be abandoned by manager John McGraw when things got tough.)

Tiny little green armbands incurred the Ayatollah’s anger

Sports were political in 1968 when when Tommie Smith and John Carlos held up black power fists to show their pride after winning medals, and in 1972 when terrorists attacked Israeli athletes at the games in Munich. It was political when countries boycotted competitions out of political animosity, and when players who came out as gay were blackballed from competition. When Charles Barkley said, “I am not a role model”, and Michael Jordan said, “Republicans buy sneakers too,” and we all rallied around the New York Yankees after 9/11, and when players on Iran’s national team were briefly banned for supporting democracy, and when North Korea’s team reported torture after losing in the world cup.

Sports are political because life is political. Asking athletes to not share opinions and simply amuse you is like asking people to shut off one part of their humanity. Asking anyone, especially people of color, to stop being human is absolutely the problem.

So, don’t stick to sports. If you stick to sports, you succumb to the distractions and abandon the work we have to do. If you stick to sports, or demand that athletes do the same, you are complicit in dehumanizing others.

Stick to society. Share sports in a society, where we unite and cheer and are inspired to get back to work. Use sports as a tool to understand society, dig deeper, and explore our common humanity. In particular, remember that those who play, and amaze, and engage our sports-loving minds, aren’t just there to amuse us. They don’t serve us. They’re part of our society. Listen to the opinions they share, and go from there.

10. Can’t buy me Truth

10. Can’t buy me Truth

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Dear Boys,

You both should know, despite your parents best intentions, you will probably spend more time in life than is good or healthy for you worrying about money.

Having it. Making it. Keeping it. Growing it. Spending it. Saving it.

In truth, money isn’t that important, except for all the ways that it is. And if that sounds maddening, congratulations, that’s money.

I don’t have much to tell you about money. I’m not an investment guru or a power trader. But this week, one thing about money seemed rather relevant.

Money makes things easier, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t stand a chance against the truth.

Sheikh Mansour enjoying the attention

The biggest story in soccer right now is happening in Manchester. Man City, a team backed by the vast wealth of a West Asian prince, has spent their way from an after thought to a global power. To do so, they lied about how much they made to cover for overspending.

It may not seem like much. Really rich guys pay more than advertised to other pretty rich guys isn’t exactly crime of the century stuff. The problem with Man City is that they are doubly flouting rules designed to give smaller teams, like those from Belgrade to Trondheim, a chance.

Spending more on one player than other teams do on their whole roster because you run a smart and profitable business, that’s tough, but grudgingly acceptable. Doing the same thing when you’re losing money just to keep up appearances and because your insanely wealthy owner can do things that local/fan community trusts can’t. That’s lousy.

At the same time, the United States is seriously mulling whether or not they want nine months of bitter campaigning between a pair of a 70 year old New York billionaires: Donald Trump and Mike Bloomberg.

Battle of the Billionaires

Bloomberg’s immense wealth has pushed him close to the lead in polls of democratic candidates. But this week, when he had his first chance to speak his truth about what he will do and why we should want it to happen, Mayor Mike could barely keep up with the most fundamental challenges.

Again, Bloomberg’s wealth is pervasive, his production of pithy retorts to the president is effective if unproductive. But when it comes to speaking the truth about who we are and what we need, “Mike Can’t Do It”.

As with Man City, if Bloomberg’s wealth was used to promote powerful and popular causes, then his rise would be concerning but acceptable. Using it to instead force himself into consideration just because he, like 99.99% of the world’s population, isn’t the current president, is maddening.

In short, money for both Man City and Mayor Bloomberg gives them opportunities others don’t have. For the rest of us, that’s frustrating. Using those opportunities to obfuscate and underwhelm: that’s unacceptable.

To be fair, you may wonder why I bring this up to you, with your parents in non-profits and your power nowhere near the Bloomberg’s and Cities of the world. Why bring this up with you?

Because of who you are You are American middle class, which makes you absurdly wealthy to most of the world. You are white men, which gives you extra privileges and power that you won’t even recognize most of the time. In the eyes of most you look much more like Man City and Mayor Mike than you like the underdog. So use your power thoughtfully, with truth and talent.