The World Cup gets started this Friday and while I'm not generally a sports fan, I'm really excited to watch the soccer matches in the coming weeks. (How could I not be after viewing this?) So, who am I cheering for? Well, I've got to cheer for the U.S., obviously, as it's my home country. But what about when, er, if they get knocked of the running?
Who Should I Cheer For was created by the World Development Movement for football fans who hate poverty to help them choose cheer-worthy teams based on a series of indicators such as life expectancy, carbon emissions per person, and the number of women in government. According to WDM's rankings, Ghana is the most worthy of fan support, while the U.S. is ranked second to last.
However, the WDM offers a "very big" disclaimer:
‘Who should I cheer for?’ does not in any way represent WDM’s
official view on the policies pursued by the countries featured, nor
should it be taken as an overall ranking of how ‘good’ or ‘bad’
countries are (though the countries who give the most aid should be
applauded and those who give the least condemned). It is intended to be a
fun and interesting way to think about serious issues. Please take it
in that spirit.
