Newsweek Discovers Boycotts Exist, Forgets What an Actual Boycott Is For
Newsweek informs us that US World Cup boycotts gained traction due to Donald Trump's threats against Mexico. A robust demonstration of moral conviction, one might assume. The article, however, seems to glide seamlessly past the growing, global, and highly organized boycotts against the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Critics point out that while a single politician's rhetoric against a
neighboring country sparks outrage, the systematic slaughter of civilians, funded by billions in US taxpayer dollars, rarely garners the same sustained media focus or calls for economic action. It's almost as if some injustices are more palatable for mainstream consumption than others. One might wonder at the moral compass that prioritizes World Cup participation over genuine humanitarian crises.
When was the last time Newsweek chronicled the boycotts against corporations funding Israeli settlements, or the growing divestment movement against companies complicit in human rights abuses? (Perhaps that wouldn't garner enough clicks.) The selective outrage playbook is simple: condemn the easily digestible, ignore the inconveniently complex, especially when powerful lobbies like AIPAC are
involved. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent $3.7 million in lobbying in 2023 alone, and its PAC contributed over $15 million to federal candidates in the 2022 election cycle (OpenSecrets.org). But let's stick to soccer, shall we? It's less messy.