Bravo Venezuela

[PeterRS]

So after 47 games around the world in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Venezuela won. It beat the USA 3 to 2. There's some justice in the world - but sadly not much.

[Mavica]

21 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

There's some justice in the world - but sadly not much.

Justice for Venezuelans and that country's refugees abroad abused by the Madero regime?

[PeterRS]

47 minutes ago, Mavica said:

Justice for Venezuelans and that country's refugees abroad abused by the Madero regime?

Do you always bring politics into a post dealing with sport? I don't recall any comments by you during the Winter Olympics or any other major sporting event? Nothing about the Iranian Women Football players who recently took part in the Women's Asian Cup? Or Chinese payers who now dominate World badminton, diving and table tennis? Or even when Venezuala participated in the Summer Olympics. Just because the USA got beaten, perhaps?

[caeron]

 

Saying "there is some justice in" brings politics in already. I am not of the foolish school who believes that if one party is bad, the other must be good. They can both be bad.

[PeterRS]

30 minutes ago, caeron said:

 

Saying "there is some justice in" brings politics in already. I am not of the foolish school who believes that if one party is bad, the other must be good. They can both be bad.

Fair point. In framing my post I was thinking of American (and some other countries') adventures that start out linking sport and politics and then suddently the politics part disappears. Is any country more guilty of sportswashing than Saudi Arabia? For many years regarded as some kind of enemy to be kept at arms length, Saudi Arabia is now a leading soccer, snooker, golf (the massive salaries on the LIV tour are entirely funded by the Saudis), F1 racing, boxing and e-sports country among others. Yet how many years have passed since the country was condemned worldwide for the brutal slaying of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a massive number of human rights abuses?

Linking sports to human rights frequently has zero effect.

[caeron]

Most things seem to have zero effects on human rights. If you're violating human rights, you more or less by definition don't care what other people think.

[Keithambrose]

4 hours ago, caeron said:

 

Saying "there is some justice in" brings politics in already. I am not of the foolish school who believes that if one party is bad, the other must be good. They can both be bad.

Absolutely! 

[vinapu]

there's sport called 'baseball" ? I'm shocked ! One lives and learn I guess

[PeterRS]

Very amusing article in today's Guardian that puts America's performance into some kind of perspective. A lot of griping within the team during the tournament, and then this about the end - 

In the final, when Harper’s dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at 2-2, his celebration of choice rounding third was a military salute to the Team USA bench and a stare into the television camera, pointing at the American flag shoulder patch on his jersey. Suddenly, it was the 9/11 era all over again.

Except that it wasn’t. The gestures were hollow, performative. The Americans peacocked, on guard in a constant state of war. America alone, standing guard when everyone else was having fun. At the WBC, Team USA seemed not part of a baseball celebration but doing their part for a nonexistent war effort. Only the camo was missing.

The article with its many truths ends -

During a fortnight that beautifully celebrated the national pastime, one memorable image will be of Venezuela in the sunburst of joy. Another will be that of America alone, the hosts masquerading as toy soldiers, at home and painfully out of place.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/18/world-baseball-classic-usa-venezuela-trump-war