A Tangled Web

Football: The Opium of the Masses



Karl Marx is credited for the famous aphorism that: 'religion is the opium of the masses.' These days, of course, religion seems to play little or no part in the lives of most people. Like many issues of importance, it has been relegated into the darkest recesses of the collective human mind. It says much about the intelligence of the average citizen when the only subject that has the capacity to trigger a nerve-tingling catharsis these days is the world of professional football.



Let me put my obvious derision into perspective. Fortunately, three home nations within the United Kingdom have failed to make it to the European Championship, which will commence in Portugal in a week's time. Thus, the respective populations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales who do have more intelligence than to believe that one can quench the thirst of parochialism at the font of football mania, will be spared the 'in your face' promotion of their 'national' teams. However, we in England are not so fortunate. We have to endure endless rounds of speculation, advertising, analysis and the affixing of stupid little St George's flags to the sides of cars.



I often observe the behaviour of the general public and am left with an intensifying sense of despair. We live in a country that is taxed to the hilt; that is burdened with bureaucracy; that suffers from the ramifications of disjointed transport, health and education policies. We are compelled to live in a society overburdened with excessive immigration and asylum; a society that has lost its sense of duty and self; a society that disregards its own population, yet extends the hand of providence to anyone coming here on an economic mealticket; a society where the criminals are excused whilst the defenders are rebuked, etc.



Considering all of the above, what outpourings of emotion do we ever witness from people? None whatsoever!! What demonstrations of passionate solidarity do we ever see? Again, none whatsoever!! If, on the other hand, a football team wins a game - or is promoted - we are subjected to a sickening chorus of chanting, whooping and drunken delirium as people come together in a classic illustration that, for the brain-dead, only the cacoethes of footballing frenzy can stir otherwise addled minds.



There is far more to life than football. It is a pity that a growing proportion of the British population is unable to see it.