Is this a campaign season or a European soccer match? At the moment, it’s hard to tell the difference.
European soccer is plagued by a strain of racism perpetuated by a nasty cadre of fans known as ultras. For these hooligans, being a fan is a core aspect of their identities.
Who they befriend; who they despise; what they wear; which symbols they carry; what they spend their days discussing:all of this — i.e., their social and personal identity — is bound to the team. Following the team is not so much about the sport per se as it is about having something to live or die by. The team becomes their religion.
Since their fandom is not based on athletics, their chants about players are ad hominem, often slurring a player’s race or ethnicity. There have been many occasions when African players were greeted with monkey chants and tossed bananas.
These “fans” will assault the opposing team’s ultras with hateful language, which can result in physical, violent confrontations. Fans of teams with a Jewish identity, such as London’s Spurs and Amsterdam’s Ajax, will hear, “Hamas! Hamas! Jews to the gas” and suchlike.
That’s what we were reminded of when we read that “Go back to Auschwitz” and “Go back to Africa” were yelled by Trump supporters at Trump protesters.
The owners of these soccer teams would argue that they are neither racist nor anti-Semitic, just as Donald Trump is likely to argue. That doesn’t change the fact that some of these teams’ and some of Trump’s supporters clearly are anti-Semitic. It raises these questions: What are they doing to attract that kind of supporter? Are they doing anything to change that?
In the case of Trump, the answers to both questions are clear. He merely dismisses the element causing trouble, or denies that it exists altogether, or blames it on Bernie Sanders. At the same time, he himself espouses views likely to garner such support. He calls for a ban on a religious group from entering the US, he calls immigrants from a particular country rapists, he actively encourages a blind devotion among his following.
Much like the ultras of European soccer, Trump brings out of the shadows a sector of society that is very much motivated by bigotry, for whom hate is their go-to when confronted. These people were never going to be nuanced debaters. The tragedy is that the official rhetoric of the Trump campaign is letting such people know that this level of “argument” is acceptable.
In this country, the main sports games are baseball, basketball and football — not soccer.
Copyright © 2016 by the Intermountain Jewish News
