You don’t care who wins or loses. You’re there watching the football game just to have some good time. And then this guy comes and spoils it all.
“Did you see? Did you see that?
“Did I see what?”
“He’s giving Manchester united a penalty!
“What’s wrong with that?”
“We have known it all this time. I tell you the referee is on United’s payroll.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The game was to end in a draw and he gives them a penalty in injury time?”
“What did you expect him to do? It was a perfect handball.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
You know this is one argument you can’t win and seal your lips. But then why should you be drawn into a fight that isn’t yours? Why should you care the referee gave penalty to this team, denied that team a legitimate goal. Let them fight their own fights. They’re the millionaires! Let ‘the Empire’ deal with it. Where did that come from? Where did ‘The Empire’ thing come from? It must be I’ve been reading too much of that major submarine spat among longtime ‘allies.’ What they did to the French is not very friendly. Yes I know, it’s none of my business; or it’s supposed to be none of my business. But tell you what; I’ll make it my business. That’s what I’ll do. When a ‘parliament’ that should have been busy minding its own business keeps on dipping its fingers into the wrong pie, my pie, why should I play nice and keep my distance? No, way. The fair play cup can go to some waste heap for all I care.
The about $40 billion slipped of out of the hands of the French when they thought their hold was firm was no easy money. And while they’ve been sitting on an agreement supposedly signed and sealed the real story was running behind the curtains. Why should it interest me that the rich and powerful squabble about some billions while ether way, a single dollar wouldn’t come my way? Is there a better example of dog-eat-dog international politics where in the context of so-called ‘national interests’ every side is meat ready to be thrown into the frying pan? (What are the French so sore about? Hey, they’ve got Messi in Paris! Ha!)
And about ‘The Empire’ thing, some writer threw it into his article accusing Shakespeare’s people for acting like during the times of ‘the empire where the sun never sets.’ I mean, the guy must have navigated quite difficult terrain to come to that!
Now, think of the fact that the French were thrown under the bus by their closest allies and let’s give it some local touch. Is it surprising that some of them are treating us thy way they are when they do it to their own ‘friends?’ Is it any surprise they repeatedly try to hang us out dry when in the name of ‘national interests’ they do it to one another? That’s how world politics works. (At times it appears as if they’ve already put us in the casket and were searching for that last nail. BANG! “You don’t have to worry any more about them.”)
“Hello!”
“Hello who is this?” (Why should anyone sound so hostile, so confrontational without even knowing who’s at the other end?)”
“Am I talking to Mr….?”
“Who is this?” (That is the VIP way of saying, “Yes, you’re talking to him.”)
“I’m a journalist.” You could imagine the hundred sparkles in his eyes. A journalist! That means publicity! He’s going to be on TV!”
“Oh; and from where are you calling? Let me guess, if it is not New York, it is London.” His vice is so soft he sounds like he was in the first steps of proposing to his not-very-much-interested girlfriend.
“No sir; in fact I am calling from er….a TV station in the Horn of Africa.” The guy is struck by very mean lightening!
“The horn of what?”
“The Horn of…in fact I’m calling from Ethiopia…”
“What! You’re calling from Ethiopia! Are you telling me you people have television let alone TV stations?” It is time to play hard ball.
“I wanted to ask you who was really responsible for the $40 billion the French lost. Just because PSG are rich it doesn’t mean that…” the sound that comes from the other side is not an innocent click, but a viscous bang! My snooping into something that shouldn’t have concerned me has paid in big way. The guy couldn’t run fast enough to put his hands on the gin bottle! Just joined the “Your business is my business!” world of the ‘crazy’! Because, dipping one’s hands into someone’s pie is crazy!
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD OCTOBER 10/2021
