This situation reflects the modern state of capitalism, where the individual nodes have gotten so powerful they can just do whatever they want without any restraint. It's how one extremely rich idiot can buy a major global communication platform and run it into the ground, or how a few Saudi elites can burn billions of dollars on a golf league that's clearly not in the best interests of that sport.
The 32 team Club World Cup might actually end up being a good thing, as stupid as it is, because it's so ridiculous a burden on players that it could get them to organize in a way they never have before.
It didn't really fit into the article so I left it out, but a players' strike reminds me of the Hollywood strikes last year, where workers were striking out of their own self-interests, yes, but also because they could clearly see how the industry was going to eat itself and needed to change course.
nicely put, I'd also add that this climactic kind of thinking from the global elites will only grow more ridiculous in the coming years. Capitalism fundamentally demands greater productivity despite, you know, laws of physics limiting the amount of surplus labor that can be extracted (whether the font of that surplus labor be players bodies or power grids).
We could hopefully accelerate a correction by drawing more firm lines, as I hope the players do, but I find it difficult to feel hopeful. we (globally) have been so indoctrinated to compete against each other and the desperation of individuals in many of the best talent pool markets that feed top clubs will continue to undercut efforts of senior players to band together against club ownership and other ruling bodies. the threat of being replaced will remain very real
all the same, those on top have asked us all to close our eyes and put our fingers in our ears and go "la la la la" all the way to the bank for a long time now but at a certain point the ground will be exhausted and nothing will grow
Why not try something like players can only play in one domestic cup competition and one cross league international competition (club World Cup or champions league/europa league). Teams would have to establish rosters for each. Would that work?
This situation reflects the modern state of capitalism, where the individual nodes have gotten so powerful they can just do whatever they want without any restraint. It's how one extremely rich idiot can buy a major global communication platform and run it into the ground, or how a few Saudi elites can burn billions of dollars on a golf league that's clearly not in the best interests of that sport.
The 32 team Club World Cup might actually end up being a good thing, as stupid as it is, because it's so ridiculous a burden on players that it could get them to organize in a way they never have before.
It didn't really fit into the article so I left it out, but a players' strike reminds me of the Hollywood strikes last year, where workers were striking out of their own self-interests, yes, but also because they could clearly see how the industry was going to eat itself and needed to change course.
nicely put, I'd also add that this climactic kind of thinking from the global elites will only grow more ridiculous in the coming years. Capitalism fundamentally demands greater productivity despite, you know, laws of physics limiting the amount of surplus labor that can be extracted (whether the font of that surplus labor be players bodies or power grids).
We could hopefully accelerate a correction by drawing more firm lines, as I hope the players do, but I find it difficult to feel hopeful. we (globally) have been so indoctrinated to compete against each other and the desperation of individuals in many of the best talent pool markets that feed top clubs will continue to undercut efforts of senior players to band together against club ownership and other ruling bodies. the threat of being replaced will remain very real
all the same, those on top have asked us all to close our eyes and put our fingers in our ears and go "la la la la" all the way to the bank for a long time now but at a certain point the ground will be exhausted and nothing will grow
Why not try something like players can only play in one domestic cup competition and one cross league international competition (club World Cup or champions league/europa league). Teams would have to establish rosters for each. Would that work?