Russian Collusion & Meddling @ FIFA2018

Russian Collusion & Meddling @ FIFA2018

By MIKOspace

It was a historic and memorable Sunday.  On 17 June 2018, the world witnessed France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow; marking the second time in 20 years that France won the World Cup.  An early 18^th minute own-goal by Croatian star player Mario Mandzukic set the stage for a new generation of French soccer players in Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba to steal the hearts of everyone with their spectacular footwork and 3 more goals in the newly renovated Luzhniki Stadium, the largest stadium in Russia and Eastern Europe as well as the 8^th largest in Europe.  Mario redeemed himself before full-time by scoring the last goal of the night to add to his team-mate Ivan Perisic’s goal in the first half.  French President Emmanuel Macron, sitting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the VIP Section, was photographed leaping in jubilant joy when the final whistle blew.

As celebrations exploded in Paris’ Champs-Elysee Avenue as well as in the Croatian Bana Jelacica Square at the centre of Zagreb, none of their passionate and enthusiastic supporters knew about the gathering storm coming from the greatest football and FIFA scandal of all times!

Did the French collude with the Russians to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup?  

And did the Russians meddle in the fixtures, logistics, play books and conduct of the 64 matches or in any other manner or shape to assure France of her long-awaited historic victory?

Days before the Opening Ceremony on 14 June 2018, FIFA had received an 18-page complaint consisting, among other documents, sworn affidavits detailing meetings and emails between certain senior French and Russian politicians, as well as FIFA and national sports officials concerning the outcome of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  Since they contained no specific direct evidence of any kind relating to the 2018 World Cup, FIFA alerted Interpol who then authorized secret surveillance as well as wire-tapping, emails and mobile communications monitoring of the Russian and French officials named in the complaint and affidavits, together with several unnamed others whom they were in contact with.  In an unusual departure from protocol, Interpol did not inform either the French or Russian enforcement authorities of the open criminal investigations.     

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The investigators studied the Moscow World Cup schedule and fixture which was announced by FIFA on 1 December 2017.  Prima facie, the 2018 World Cup fixture was not particularly unusual.  On hindsight, one is drawn to the fact that Russia (Group A), France (Group C) and Croatia (Group D) are in separate Groupings.  However, in the actual match fixture, France would meet EITHER Russia or Croatia as the latter progress (successfully) in their respective games. 

Croatia beat Russia 4-3 on penalty kicks on 7 July 2018, after a 2-2 draw that included goals by both sides in the 30 minutes of extra time.  Croatia thus created her own path to meet France (after beating Belgium) in the Cup Finale.  Did Russia deliberately let Croatia win?  Russian interference and collusion would of course be too obvious if she were to meet France and resulted in a French victory.    

In any case, the Croatian Team was not getting any easy co-operation from the Russian hosts at their training base at the St Petersburg’s Lesnaya Rapsodiya Resort on the shores of Bolshoye Semaginskoye Lake, Leningrad Region, which has a modern stadium built specially for the 2018 World Cup.  The Croatian Team was personally supervised by a senior FSB Officer.  The FSB is Russia’s principal national security agency and the successor to the former KGB. 

  

The Croatian Team had requested for 30 bicycles for their training, but was disallowed.  They were instead directed to the exclusive use of the 25-meter long panoramic swimming pool and the gym room.  According to the Report, the Croatians were extremely agitated and anxious by the refusal.  Was this a Russian ploy calculated to unbalance the Croatian players in order to impact their World Cup game, especially in the Final against the French?  Further investigations are certainly needed.

Compared to the Croatian Team, the French Team stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, New Rifa, located at a tranquil location in the beautiful forested area of Moscow Oblast.  It offers a peaceful oasis in the countryside with easy access to Moscow city center and all of Moscow’s airports via the New Riga highway.

The French victory was an unexpected surprise to most soccer buffs, but not to the Interpol investigators.  By the end of the Final Game on 17 June 2018, the French victory answered many questions which they had developed during the investigations and incidental indirect questioning of several hundred people, among whom were several unsuspecting persons of interest. 

In the evening of 17 June 2018 into the night and the next day, before departure of the various team, Interpol also secured the active co-operation of Russian enforcement authorities as well as the British Scotland Yard after a quick briefing of their investigations status.  An Interpol Team also headed to Zagreb ahead of the returning Croatian Team to continue the investigations in Croatia.  Another Interpol Team similarly headed to Paris.  All players, and particularly the goal-scorers, are expected to be vigorously questioned by Interpol and FIFA officials.

 

One can expect Croatian player Mario Mandzukic to be questioned in details, together with the match video, on his own-goal which gave France her early lead in the Final Game.  

Mario has already signed a US$9million book deal with a French publisher for a “tell-all” book on how Croatia got into, and lost, the FIFA2018 World Cup Finals, which would be titled “What Happened”.

In “What Happened”, Mario promised to lay out how the 2018 World Cup was marked by an unprecedented assault on his beloved soccer game by foreign adversarial forces. He would analyse the evidence of Russian collusion and meddling by connecting the dots to show just how dangerous the forces are that shaped the final outcome of FIFA2018 World Cup, and why all soccer lovers need to understand them to protect the integrity of the game in the future.

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By midnight, Interpol had managed to seize and uploaded the messages and social media accounts from the mobile phones, and obtained the email accounts, of all the players and officials of the Russian, French and Croatian Teams.

The British Scotland Yard investigators also wanted to know of any unusual interference which resulted in England’s devastating 2-1 defeat by a less experienced Croatian Team in the Semi-Finals.  The demoralized English Team subsequently lost their will to prevail against a better Belgium Team to lose 2-0 and be denied even the 3^rd position.  And Belgium’s odd to win the World Cup was 12-1 compared to England’s 20-1.

Interestingly, there were some “love-bird” chats between several pairs of Croatian and French players, and Russian-French officials.  Consistent references to Russian sources regarding “France will win” and “Croatia would lose” appeared frequently and alarming enough to pursue these conversations further.  There was also a reference to some kind of “insurance policy” to guarantee a French FIFA2018 victory. 

What is the alleged “insurance policy” to guarantee a French victory?

This had led investigators to examine the FIFA drug tests protocols and actual practice in the 2018 Games.  Extra urine samples were taken from all the other Teams in the Finals.  Drug retesting was also ordered, again, after the end of the Final whistle, and samples taken in the respective Teams’ locker rooms. 

Investigators wondered whether “positive” drug test results would be used to discredit a Croatian cup victory, so as to assure a French victory no matter whatever the outcome may be.  If true, this would never be known.

It was rumored that the Russians had a video showing the Croatian Team partying wildly with Russian prostitutes, showing sex orgies as well as the players being urinating upon by the prostitutes.  Together with “fake” drug test results, the video would also discredit any Finals victory by the Croatians, which would hand the FIFA Cup to France.   Is this also part of the “insurance policy” to guarantee a French victory?  

Again, the investigators wanted to know whether and how the France-Australia match could have been interfered with to produce a French victory which led her eventually to the Finals to meet Croatia.

The key unknown questions to be unraveled by the investigators relate to motives.  Why do the Russians want France to win the FIFA World Cup 2018?

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I think the answer is energy. Russia is rich in energy resources. Russia has the world’s largest known natural gas reserves, with the second largest coal reserves, and has the world’s 8th largest oil reserves.  In contrast, France derives about 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy, due to her policy on energy security. This share is likely to be reduced to 50% by 2025.  Currently, France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to very low cost of generation, and receives over 3 billion Euros annually.

Russian strategic desire is a pipeline through France and Spain to the Atlantic and the Northern Mediterranean.  Most of Europe is dependent on Russia for energy already, especially Germany, except the United Kingdom (UK), France and Spain.  Post-Brexit, Russia expects UK to be hungry for energy since her power imports from Europe has increased by 52% over the past 3 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron met for the first time on 30 May 2017.  At that time, President Macron had chastised Russian media and parties for attempting to meddle and interfere in the French General Elections.  They met again on the 24 May 2018, this time discussing Russian-European relations, the Iran nuclear deal as well as Ukraine and trade issues.

By their 2^nd meeting, they have discovered substantial areas of strong mutual interest in power and energy.  They agreed for French energy giant Total to take a 10% stake in a Russian Novatek-led Arctic LNG-2 project which would produce liquefied natural gas from beneath the Artic ice-cap.  Through Total, France now partners with the world 2^nd largest natural gas producer, Russia, after the USA.    

At the same time, Russia’s Rosatom, the supplier of uranium enrichment services and owns 20% of US uranium through UraniumOne, have also strengthened its client partnership with French companies Electricite de France (EDF), Schneider Electric, Assystem and others, for joint nuclear power plant projects in 3^rd countries.  Russia nuclear energy deals with Egypt already exceed US$60 billion.

Without any doubt, France’s FIFA 2018 World Cup victory has both short and long-term priceless value to President Emmanual Macron in political, social and economic terms.  This fact is not lost on President Vladimir Putin. Perhaps, and maybe, the FSB also has “something” on Macron, as they seem to have on other world leaders, so as to guarantee Macron’s continuous co-operation? 

The investigations into Russian collusion and meddling will continue until the next FIFA 2022.  This could very well be a political “witch-hunt” where nothing really matters would be found.  Would FIFA2018 World Cup Champion France be disqualified as a result of the investigations, a first in FIFA history?!  Imagine FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup without France? 

BTW, isn’t Qatar also the world largest producer of LNG (Liquefied nitrogen gas)?   Just coincidence?  Maybe.  Time will tell.

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Trump is destroying all the white lies the daft were made to believe in

The white Europeans/Americans may want to continue to perpetuate their century old white lies in demonizing Communism, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and countries that they deemed as their enemies. They have been concocting all kinds of myths and lies to brand these countries as evil and bad with their fake news often brandishing as intelligence reports, supported by ‘facts’ and their ‘truths’ from their subversive intelligence organisations. While many of their fake news have been exposed, like the WMD myth that they used to justify the invasion and murder of Saddam Hussein and Iraqis and the imprisonment of many so called terrorists in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, when the real terrorists were the Americans and their allies, many still stupidly believe and insist that the white lies were not lies and refuse to want to think about them.
 
And here is Donald Trump, a very brave man that stood up to tell the Americans that they have been duped all these years by their very own people, people in govt, in the intelligence services, their politicians, fabricating several sets of lies and myths about other countries and people. The fabrication of white lies is a daily affair to make Americans believe what the evil schemers want them to believe in, like the spate of poisoning incidents in UK blaming the Russians for it , or North Korea is a country suffering from abject poverty ruled by a mad man.
 
The evil and wicked people in Washington and in various centres of power are shocked to this revelation by Trump. They are in a rage, rose in unison to condemn Trump for telling the truth, for exposing their lies, in this case about Russia meddling in the US Presidential Election. Trump said the accusations were all lies, Russia did not do it, no reason to do it. Practically everyone in Washington that were involved in the fabrication of white lies was incensed, the intelligence chiefs, past and present, were as guilty as the devil, the white supremacist John McCain, etc etc were up in arms against Trump. How can Trump be allowed to destroy their carefully crafted and fabricated lies for so many decades? They have to destroy the messenger of God in Trump in order to perpetuate their white lies about the countries they have framed as bad, to continue to lie to the Americans and the rest of the world?
 
All the lies and deceits were based on a simple strategy of creating enemies and demons to be attacked, as scapegoats, to serve the American hegemony and Empire. Following are some of the comments from the evil men in Washington and centres of power.
 
Trump was denounced as ‘disgraceful, cowardly, shameful, weak and treasonous’. According to McCain, ‘The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.’ Democrat Jimmy Gomez, ‘To side with Putin over US intelligence is disgusting; to fail to defend the US is on the verge of treason.’ ….
 
Alright, the Americans have good reasons to be angry with Trump for telling the truth and destroying the myth and lies they have built over decades and centuries to deceive the ordinary Americans and the rest of the world, all for the interest of the American Empire. Would the rest of the world finally wake up, remove their blinkers and look at the evil Empire and question the lies and myths they created and made them to believe in? The Americans have planted the idea of Communism bad, Russians bad, Chinese bad, North Koreans, Iranians bad…. And the unthinking just accepted these as the gospel truth without questioning that the really bad and evil ones are the Americans lying to them.
 
Trump may be accused by the Americans as a traitor. But he is a truth bearer. Such rare men appeared once in a while, yes a disruptor of the finely crafted American narrative built on lies, to bring down a house of cards. Trump is standing up to all the evil men in Washington to call them liars. Trump will bring down the American Empire and the wicked men and women to their knees. Many believe Trump is Godsend to destroy the evil American Empire. And he is doing it systematically without missing a beat. Trump is unstoppable. The messenger of God is unstoppable.

Water falling from the sky is free

It is sinful to charge water that falls freely from the sky a high price. Ok, all your eyeballs are rolling. Seriously, human beans have been enjoying free water from the sky for ages. Things only change when crooks took over and decided to charge the people for water falling from the sky. God’s or heaven’s water, provided by God and heaven, evil man profited from it.
 
To be fair, the amount of labour and value add to produce drinkable water, not shit water, should be compensated accordingly. But the price of water should still be proportionate to the labour and capital added. Only evil men can twist and turn to raise the price of water exorbitantly by their whimsical white lies. Water must be priced high to teach people the value of water. Fuck you. Water must be priced high to prevent wastage. Fuck you. Tell that to God and heaven for letting water fall freely from the sky everywhere and going to waste. God is wasteful? Water is a blessing and gift of God or Nature.
 
God or heaven, you cannot anyhow waste water by pouring them in the river and into the sea. You should pour the water into the reservoirs for the people to use, and have enough holes to keep the water. If not YOU must be punished for wasting water.
 
And please, there is one thing YOU should do, punish the profiteers and gangsters for charging people exorbitant price for the free water you provide for the human beans by using their lies and fake reasons.

Govt committed to lowering cost of living

“Prices of goods and service in Singapore may be rising at a slower pace, but Singaporeans still feel the squeeze, convinced the cost of living is rising faster.”
 
What is this statement in thenewpaper trying to say? Prices rising at slower pace so no rising cost of living but Singaporeans, not locals, think cost of living is rising faster and this is not true. Why, because the govt are doing so many things to ease the rising cost of living, like more taxes, higher fees, etc, all working towards lowering the cost of living.
 
You don’t believe these would work? You forgot that increasing GST is to help the poor? Sugar taxes to reduce diabetes? 30% increase in price of water to reduce usage of water and to teach people the importance of water that falls down from the sky, free? More foreigners are here to provide jobs, good jobs for Singaporeans? And the infamous million dollar ministerial salary to prevent corruption? All these are uniquely Singaporean way to solve our unique problems by our super talented ministers.
 
And sure they work. Listen to this comment by Chan Chun Sing. “People’s aspirations, and their ability to fulfil them, can also affect their perception of the issue.” Huh, what’s that? Oh, if you have million dollar salary, your perception of rising cost of living would be different from those trying to make ends meet. This one I also know.
 
And MP Liang Eng Hwa got the gumption to ask if the cost of living has significantly increased. My answer is a definite NO. And I thank Chan Chun Sing for agreeing with me. He said, “But looking at absolute measures, overall inflation in Singapore has, in fact, declined between 2012 and last year, compared with the five year period before it.” See, I am right, inflation is in decline, though still going up and the govt is helping the people to stretch their hard earned dollar.
 
Personally I know my kopi has gone up from 90c to $1.10, train fares have also gone up, the food in hawker centres also up. No I cannot afford $6 kopi or $10 lunch. So my perception of rising inflation is not true, because I am trying to stretch my dollar to get me as much as I could get.
 
There is no rising cost of living in Singapore despite our honour of being the most expensive city in the world. This is only a matter of perception. If you are earning million dollar salary, what inflation? And if you know how to stretch your dollar like buying the cheapest things available, eating less, where got inflation? And don’t take public transport if you cannot afford it, try bicycle or walking and you can be richer by saving a few dollars or a few cents.
 
See, Singapore is a cheap place to live, even if it is the most expensive place in the world. The govt is doing all it could to lower the cost of living and inflation by raising more taxes, hiking more fees and charges. All these are to reduce inflation and cost of living for sure.
 
Trust me.

How much is a worker paid versus how much he has to pay to live

"A family getting by on $117,400 (£87,970) in one US city can now be considered ‘low income’, according to government figures. How can that be the case?
That workers with six-figure salaries could be considered “poor” is something that might surprise many people.
But taking into account income and housing costs that is the reality for some families – who may be eligible for housing assistance – according to a recent report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In San Francisco and nearby San Mateo and Marin Counties it said $117,400 for a family of four was “low income”, while $73,300 (£54,900) was “very low income” – the highest figures anywhere in the country.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44725026"

The above statement was posted by Cynical Investor to explain the relative income and purchasing power of money. Everything is relative and the numbers are deceiving. We have recently heard Koh Poh Koon lamenting that the productivity of our workers was below the wages they were being paid, ie, our workers are overpaid. So how? He is saying that the wages or our workers are too high, overpaid, so it is necessary to cut down the wages of our workers to be competitive.

This is a very simplistic view of the relationship between wages and productivity. An approach we called single factor analysis, picking on one or two isolated factors to prove a point but really is misinformation or disinformation. The wages of workers are not just measured on productivity alone though productivity is an important factor.

The workers need to live and get on with his life in a given set of parameters in the society or country he lives. He needs to pay for housing, food, clothing, bringing up children, medicare and all the social needs that cost money. This is why there is a term called basic wages that is linked to the cost of living of a country. How much does a person needs just to afford the basic needs of his environment to get by.

Singapore has priced itself to be one of the most expensive city in the world. Some jokers think this is a great achievement and recklessly increasing the cost of living with higher and higher taxes and fees to be on top of the world for the wrong reason. They did not care simply because they are being paid in the millions and would not be affected by the higher cost of living. But for the workers every cent counts and any increases would eat into his already thin wage and would likely to mean he has to give up on things that he no longer has the extra dollar to pay for. They have to cut ends and eat less or live on less.

Does the govt ever consider how much a family needs to live in this most expensive city in the world when  the value of money is getting smaller by the day? Before any joker starts to even think of wage cuts, he should be very clear in his mind what is the minimum wage needed to get by in this expensive city. Oh, what expensive, $1,000 wage can buy HDB flats. Oh ya?

In countries like China or India, when cost of living are very low, they could pay their workers low wages but still enough to live comfortably.  With the big difference in exchange rates, the workers of these countries would be paid really very little relative to our workers and thus become very competitive relative to their productivity. Would the jokers conveniently say our workers should also be paid the same wage as these workers to be competitive?

The above examples of the income of American workers are obvious and easy to understand even to the dull. The paper value of income must be read in the context of the cost of living of the country. Singapore has prices itself out of competition by its silly and irresponsible policies that ended up in very high cost of living and going higher by the day. And the jokers think that this is sustainable as long as we reduce the wages of our workers to be competitive.

It is very easy to make arguments in a vacuum or use single factor anal-lysis. Just keep farting. Yes the wages are high relative to the wages of developing countries. But our wages are low, some near poverty level, relative to our high cost of living.

So, what is your answer? Raise more taxes, more rentals, higher property prices, higher fees, higher train and bus fairs, build more monuments and charged to the people?