Infantino and Trump, Examples of What Not To Be
Published since 1935, the newsletter The Swiss Voice in the World offers a weekly perspective from the Swiss media on global politics and economics, as well as on science, the environment and important events taking place in Switzerland.
Recently, it analyzed what “the U.S. soul” means for the economy and soccer in light of the nation’s 250th anniversary, celebrated on July 4. The article is by analyst Matthew Allen and cites the political scientist Claudia Franziska Brühwiler, who argues that “pursuing happiness in the casino was not the intention of the founding fathers.” She writes that “when the material dream becomes unattainable, when existence descends into existential angst, a return to fundamental values is indispensable.” Such a vision is precisely what Americans lack right now, she warns.
For his part, journalist Boris Busslinger also believes that the United States has drifted away from its original purpose, as it celebrates “a quarter of a millennium under the rule of a president with little regard for his country’s history or institutions; a land of contradictions that has worked for the common good as much as it has provoked hostility and devastation.” He adds that it is capable of both the best and the worst. And given everything that is happening now, “this great nation of immigrants can be a formidable dream machine as well as a terrible calamity.”
About this last point, it is worth recalling that the United States has always prided itself on having an open economy, relatively free from direct government interference. But the rise of artificial intelligence companies has forced a reevaluation of this stance. Because AI is sometimes portrayed as a threat to employment, society and national security, Donald Trump took this threat seriously and has decided to restrict foreign access to the most powerful AI models.
But the decisions made by the person living in the White House are not limited to economic, military, immigration or religious issues. They also extend to sports, and the most pathetic example is the World Cup that concluded on Sunday. A phone call from President Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is Swiss, was enough to overturn the decision to ban the suspended U.S. forward Folarin Balogun from playing in a crucial World Cup match against Belgium.
That phone call, and the lifting of Balogun’s suspension, sparked widespread condemnation, as soccer is based on the illusion that decisions on fouls and off-sides are made inside stadiums — or by video assistant referees. Not at the White House. This is a sign that Infantino once again acted as Trump’s lackey, shattering the illusion that soccer serves to unite nations.
So, the FIFA official, who had previously presented Trump with a "peace ball" — supposedly in recognition of his efforts to promote peace around the world — ended up crudely and grotesquely destroying the already battered prestige of soccer’s highest authority. Journalist Thomas Schifferle points out that Trump and Infantino’s remarks are an unpleasant example of U.S.-Swiss relations. He explains that what happened proves what has long been clear: Infantino is unfit to serve as FIFA president and must be removed from office. This is the most urgent priority, following a thorough audit of the organization’s finances.
Another person who should be removed from office is Trump, for countless reasons. One — which is plunging the world into economic and political crisis — is his chaotic handling of the war he launched against Iran nearly five months ago. He promised to end it in a matter of days by wiping the nation off the map, in open collaboration with the Israeli government. He has dragged the American people into a military confrontation that he has no idea how to end.
He has exacerbated the situation by declaring that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a fee to guarantee the safe passage of cargo ships. It is worth recalling that his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called a similar Iranian plan illegal, noting that “no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway.”*
Infantino and Trump exemplify exactly what leaders of world soccer and of a powerful nation should not be.
*Editor’s note: This quote, accurately translated, could not be independently verified.
Recently, it analyzed what “the U.S. soul” means for the economy and soccer in light of the nation’s 250th anniversary, celebrated on July 4. The article is by analyst Matthew Allen and cites the political scientist Claudia Franziska Brühwiler, who argues that “pursuing happiness in the casino was not the intention of the founding fathers.” She writes that “when the material dream becomes unattainable, when existence descends into existential angst, a return to fundamental values is indispensable.” Such a vision is precisely what Americans lack right now, she warns.
For his part, journalist Boris Busslinger also believes that the United States has drifted away from its original purpose, as it celebrates “a quarter of a millennium under the rule of a president with little regard for his country’s history or institutions; a land of contradictions that has worked for the common good as much as it has provoked hostility and devastation.” He adds that it is capable of both the best and the worst. And given everything that is happening now, “this great nation of immigrants can be a formidable dream machine as well as a terrible calamity.”
About this last point, it is worth recalling that the United States has always prided itself on having an open economy, relatively free from direct government interference. But the rise of artificial intelligence companies has forced a reevaluation of this stance. Because AI is sometimes portrayed as a threat to employment, society and national security, Donald Trump took this threat seriously and has decided to restrict foreign access to the most powerful AI models.
But the decisions made by the person living in the White House are not limited to economic, military, immigration or religious issues. They also extend to sports, and the most pathetic example is the World Cup that concluded on Sunday. A phone call from President Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is Swiss, was enough to overturn the decision to ban the suspended U.S. forward Folarin Balogun from playing in a crucial World Cup match against Belgium.
That phone call, and the lifting of Balogun’s suspension, sparked widespread condemnation, as soccer is based on the illusion that decisions on fouls and off-sides are made inside stadiums — or by video assistant referees. Not at the White House. This is a sign that Infantino once again acted as Trump’s lackey, shattering the illusion that soccer serves to unite nations.
So, the FIFA official, who had previously presented Trump with a "peace ball" — supposedly in recognition of his efforts to promote peace around the world — ended up crudely and grotesquely destroying the already battered prestige of soccer’s highest authority. Journalist Thomas Schifferle points out that Trump and Infantino’s remarks are an unpleasant example of U.S.-Swiss relations. He explains that what happened proves what has long been clear: Infantino is unfit to serve as FIFA president and must be removed from office. This is the most urgent priority, following a thorough audit of the organization’s finances.
Another person who should be removed from office is Trump, for countless reasons. One — which is plunging the world into economic and political crisis — is his chaotic handling of the war he launched against Iran nearly five months ago. He promised to end it in a matter of days by wiping the nation off the map, in open collaboration with the Israeli government. He has dragged the American people into a military confrontation that he has no idea how to end.
He has exacerbated the situation by declaring that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a fee to guarantee the safe passage of cargo ships. It is worth recalling that his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called a similar Iranian plan illegal, noting that “no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway.”*
Infantino and Trump exemplify exactly what leaders of world soccer and of a powerful nation should not be.
*Editor’s note: This quote, accurately translated, could not be independently verified.
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