Corruption is only corruption if it varies from the norm. And bribery, vote trading, intimidation, etc. is the norm of global politics, and FIFA is an extension of that. Anyone who enters the bidding game has to be prepared for that, otherwise there is no chance. The US is not good at these things any more. In the old days of the 1980s it could count a on contingent of loyal backers who lapped up aid money. The world is more dynamic now, and the US has not kept up--although it did do better than England. My sense is that the US looked at the landscape in terms of what countries would support it, whereas Russia and Qatar looked at the voters and asked which INDIVIDUALS would support them.
So, yes, I would agree that Qatar outbid the US fairly and squarely.
Exactly, mparao.
Corruption is only corruption if it varies from the norm. And bribery, vote trading, intimidation, etc. is the norm of global politics, and FIFA is an extension of that. Anyone who enters the bidding game has to be prepared for that, otherwise there is no chance. The US is not good at these things any more. In the old days of the 1980s it could count a on contingent of loyal backers who lapped up aid money. The world is more dynamic now, and the US has not kept up--although it did do better than England. My sense is that the US looked at the landscape in terms of what countries would support it, whereas Russia and Qatar looked at the voters and asked which INDIVIDUALS would support them.
So, yes, I would agree that Qatar outbid the US fairly and squarely.