Discussion
Racists think that it somehow upsets anti-racists that the best footballer in the world right now is super-white?
No.
Erling Haaland♥️
* Vocal supporter of men cooking and cleaning.
* Self-aware of the historical context of the vikings ("Yes viking history is incredible. But a lot of things were not good... what they did. Let's be honest.")
* Vocal anti-racist who used his platform to defend Black UK players from racist UK fans.
@mekkaokereke Something to know about the Vikings is that it was a job description, not an ethnicity. Yes, they were mostly Norse, but to "go a-viking" was not limited to the ethnic Norse; crews often included people from other parts of the world.
And, yes, they did things that seem horrific to us now, but we can't judge people who lived 1000 years ago by modern standards. (Though we shouldn't admire or emulate those practices!)
And they built beautiful ships!
Yes we absolutely can judge people from 1000 years ago through modern standards. I'm not sure why people believe that you can't?
1000 years from now, someone is going to say how racist Trump was back in 2026, but that you can't judge people from 1000 years ago. And 1000 years from now, someone like me is going to tell that person that you absolutely can judge people from 1000 years ago, and that people in 2026 knew that racism was wrong, just like people in 3026 do.
[CW: discussion of Sexual Assault]
For example, SA was a severely dishonorable crime in ancient Norse culture, as it is today. But they considered raiding parties outside the bounds of law, and considered slaves to have no bodily autonomy, just as people do today. They knew that it was wrong, and they did it anyway, as people who think they are outside the reach of society's laws, do today. There were vikings that opposed the form of slavery practiced in their society. Etc.
@mekkaokereke @quixoticgeek apparently collects handbags.
@mekkaokereke It's the same as those idiots wearing a "If this flag offends you..." t-shirt. I don't give a shit about the flag part, I'm offended that you actively seek to offend me.
I don't care that he's white but it pisses me off that it's important to them for him to be white.
@mekkaokereke I didn't need more reasons to like Haaland, but I'll happily take them. :)
@mekkaokereke
Thank you so much for this post. I hadn't looked into him, and now I think I'm a fan.
Go Norway!
@mekkaokereke Only three more wins to go for Norway now!
@mekkaokereke White racists think that because they're upset when a non-white person does something well, anti-racists must be upset when a white person does something well. They assume that because they're anti-black, anti-Asian, etc., anti-racists must be anti-white — which would itself be racist.
They can't imagine anything but being racist.
They're not very smart people.
He's one of the good ones.
Erling Haaland cont'd♥️
* Supports Norway's Social Democracy, AKA the Nordic model, with heavily subsidized childcare. Men in Norway do more childcare than any other country in Europe.
* Is self-deprecating about his pale skin, and how much sunscreen he has to wear.
* Is a kind person. Has fun.
@mekkaokereke Stop it! Stop it now! I’m a Manchester United supporter, and it’s breaking my heart that he’s such a cool guy when my sacred duty is to hate him 😉
> * Is self-deprecating about his pale skin, and how much sunscreen he has to wear.
This is basically the right mindset. We are extra susceptible to folate loss; it's a dermal disability. So it's healthy to acknowledge & accommodate for that!
@mekkaokereke
Also: Added "Braut"—his mother's surname—to his jersey to honor her side of the family.
Haaland has been one of the bright spots in the otherwise racist, corrupt, and quite frankly somewhat depressing enterprise known as the World Cup.
And with his mother's surname first, even. Here in Latin America we generally use the mother's surname, but second to the father's.
I frequently point out when superstar white athletes refuse to be turned into a mascot for racists. Eg Paige Bueckers. Hailey Van Lith.
Haaland would make *more* money and have more fans if he simply kept quiet and remained ambiguous on the issue and "didn't get into talking about politics," and used his silence to let racists use him as a totem.
Instead he makes an active choice to reject racist fans.
♥️👍🏿
@mekkaokereke This is one of my favorite Paige Bueckers stories. Heck, one of my favorite UConn basketball stories.
to be neutral to condone racism. We have to be anti-racist. anti-sexist. anti-fascist.
So I regret to inform the anti-Black racists, the woman hating sexists, and other assorted weirdos, that Erling Haaland, is with us.
That's our flying goal viking, not yours.
I used to teach in a village school in Masaii land in southern Kenya by the Serengeti. The evolutionary pressure on generations of Masaii protecting cattle from lions armed with only a spear is probably similar to that experienced by Viking rovers. One better have a good move or two when jumping out of a Viking ship into a mass of defenders. A Masaii could not qualify for warrior status and be eligible for marriage without defeating a lion, I believe.
@mekkaokereke I did not expect him to turn out to be such a joyful but deadly competitor when he first joined the PL. He is genuinely likeable dude, even when he is shredding opponents frustrated that they can't reliably stop him inside or outside the rules.
I used to have a cat like that. He'd leap to intercept a rubber ball with NO THOUGHT of how he would land. Just fling himself into the air.
@mekkaokereke oh come now. You don’t regret it a bit 🤣
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