Where I Was When "We" Won

UPDATE: below

At this party:


source: the moment the FIFA World Cup 2022 bid winner was announced.

Zurich at the moment of victory is here.

The country's going crazy--the normally clear night sky of the desert is hazy with the smoke of fireworks and fires. The streets are jammed with gridlocked traffic and dancing pedestrians. It's the largest alcohol-free party I've ever seen--fortunately, there's booze at all the "western" hotels.

MORE:

Tunku Varadarajan in the Daily Beast:

I believe that the Qatar World Cup will be a most effective weapon against al Qaeda and the forces of Islamist darkness. Arab society has seen the world embrace it in a truly global enterprise, and will, I believe, rise to the challenge--a challenge that includes not merely effective organization, but a transformation of traditional ways into cosmopolitan ones. Qatar will play host to tens of thousands of fans from around the world--men and women who will expect to sit together, women who will expect total equality and the right to dress as they please, fans who will want--and not expect to be denied--a drink . . . Fans who will have no truck with religious police, modesty police, or killjoys of any kind. And if Israel qualifies, Qatar will not be able to deny it the right to play, for the first time, on Arab soil. Think of that.

All this could be electrifying and transformative--the 2022 World Cup could, without exaggeration, bring about a cultural revolution.

(via reader Warren)