EliteKiller wrote:jayramfootball wrote:I have heard that counterargument a few times, and I don't think it is the same.
Filling up your car or using electric is not a cultural experience - it's a necessity.
Buying oil from Saudi Arabia is not the same as letting them own a football club at all.
You talking about a govt transaction with oil - there is no opportunity to say no to Saudi oil - you can only say no to all oil, which, for most, is not an option.
With football we are supposed to have tests for owners but somehow a mass murderer has passed that test. We're not solving a societal issue or need here and the opportunity for the Saudi regime to leverage PR to gloss over their atrocities is very much afforded to them with this new deal, whilst selling their natural resources does not.
Let me put it another way.
Khashoggi was murdered by this man now in charge of Newcastle.
We could choose as a country not to buy Saudi oil as a response - but that will hurt the citizenry of this country significantly and likely bring about an economic collapse. The consideration for that is entirely different to allowing the ownership of a football club. One is weighing up a necessity and impact on our citizenry the other is rewarding a murderer vs carrying on as before with no issue.
But that's not really true .... Khashoggi was murdered by a government clandestine service because he was perceived as a threat to Saudi interests ... there is no justification for that but governments do it all the time
Just a month ago a UN Aid worker along with seven children was murdered by a government clandestine service because he was perceived as a threat to US interests ...
Whilst you may try and argue one was deliberate and one was accidental - premeditated murder is still premeditated murder even if you kill the wrong target.
The other point to consider is that it's completely false to suggest that a fan going to St James's Park to watch Newcastle is in anyway endorsing an intolerant regime in Saudi ... just as playing a video game using Saudi made electricity isn't endorsing an intolerant regime in Saudi either ... they are both free choices and doing or not doing either will not bring about the collapse of our economy.
To pretend that the EPL allowing a Newcastle takeover is the straw that breaks the camel's back on Saudi Arabia is very shaky ground, especially if it only impacts one set of fans .... will you be boycotting the EPL in protest, somehow I very much doubt it.
That USA argument came up before too.
The US govt doesn't own any football clubs here.
I would be against that too.