If FIFA governed the world……
In light of a World Cup referee stripping the United States of a winning goal despite multiple Slovenian bear hugs of American forwards issuing a controversial call in yesterday’s United States-Slovenia game, I was intrigued to read about FIFA’s attitudes about monitoring and enforcing the rules of its game. And then I began to wonder what ...
In light of a World Cup referee stripping the United States of a winning goal despite multiple Slovenian bear hugs of American forwards issuing a controversial call in yesterday's United States-Slovenia game, I was intrigued to read about FIFA's attitudes about monitoring and enforcing the rules of its game.
In light of a World Cup referee stripping the United States of a winning goal despite multiple Slovenian bear hugs of American forwards issuing a controversial call in yesterday’s United States-Slovenia game, I was intrigued to read about FIFA’s attitudes about monitoring and enforcing the rules of its game.
And then I began to wonder what life would be like if that attitude were applied to the rest of world politics…..
IAEA REFUSES TO REVERSE CALL ON IRAN
VIENNA: Today the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rejected American and European pleas to review and reverse its latest finding on Iran’s nuclear program. Last week IAEA inspectors surprised the world by declaring "there’s nothing to see here, move along" after the latest inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Immediately following that report, both the German and U.S. governments provided clear video and satellite photography of a secret nuclear facility in Iran, and requested that the IAEA reconsider its position.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano refused, however, arguing that, "there is a human element to inspections that technology cannot and should not eliminate." He elaborated, "this kind of strategic ambiguity is exactly the kind of uncertainty and controversy that will promote debate and discussion about Iran’s intentions for years to come." He went on to argue that nonproliferation will remain more popular than other global governance structures, such as climate change, that have embraced the use of technology in their decision-making.
When asked if the new data wouldn’t provide a more accurate assessment of Iran’s program, he replied, "if you start disrupting the natural, sclerotic flow of our decision-making, you abandon the best traditions of global governance.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, flanked by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, praised the IAEA decision and blasted the Obama administration’s efforts to reverse the call.
"This is just another example of the United States, with its Zionist cronies, attempting to subvert democratic decision-making with Western imperialist concepts like ‘facts’ and ‘truth.’"
In all seriousness, it is stunning how both FIFA and the International Olympic Committee manage to make other international organizations look uber-competent.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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