“History repeats itself,” people often say in reference to politics and current affairs. But the saying also applies to sports. While Trump’s authoritarian agenda is certainly bringing chaos to the World Cup, he isn’t the first fascist to do this.
In this second episode of Zeteo’s three-part video series, Mehdi goes back in time to two famous World Cup competitions that were plagued by authoritarian regimes:
Italy’s 1934 World Cup, which took place during the height of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime and his country’s genocide in Libya
Argentina’s 1978 World Cup, which was held during Argentina’s “Dirty War,” in which the military regime forcibly disappeared tens of thousands of Argentines and tortured their people in detention centers just kilometers away from the World Cup stadium
“So many Argentines had a sibling or a parent or a child who had just been picked up off the street and was gone,” Argentine-American NPR journalist Jasmine Garsd says in the episode. “Sportswashing works for a moment…and then everyone has to go back to a life of terror. And distress.”
Mehdi and the episode’s other guests – including Human Rights Watch’s Minky Worden and Propaganda Researcher Daniele Serapiglia – also discuss the controversies around Russia and Qatar’s recent World Cup competitions and the double standards when it comes to the coverage of the U.S.’s own scandals.
Paid subscribers can watch this full episode, as well as the third one that will be released soon. They can also access the first episode here.
Free subscribers can watch a 2-minute preview. Upgrade your subscription today to access this episode and the others, paywall-free!
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