The ‘silent war’ at the pump: As the world burns, Gianni Infantino declares ‘let them eat cake’

It has been a tough few months while sitting, standing, or crying into your steering wheel at the petrol pump.

While watching the rand meter tick up and up, and the bank account depleting with every litre due to the continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz which has inflated global oil prices, it became the perfect opportunity to reflect on the state of the world and, of course, hold the Met Gala.

Because, with the world so politically and economically unstable at the moment, nothing gives you more perspective than the richest, most affluent, and most tone-deaf people in the world strutting their complete lack of current affairs by wearing impractical, supposedly revolutionary outfits while the rest of the world wonders if it can afford to make the commute to work and back.

It seems the upper echelon of society has lost all civility regarding the current state of the world, from celebrities to politicians, sports stars and sports administrations.

Take South African golfing legend Gary Player, who made a bizarre cameo in the White House’s Oval Office alongside US president Donald Trump this past week. Trump and Player, surrounded by other dignitaries and a group of kids, rambled on about nuclear war, Iran, and people getting shot in the head.

I cannot stress enough that these topics were discussed with minors no older than about 12 or 13 present — and I think I am being very generous with that guestimation of age.

It was very much a red-pill moment; a fever dream. Player added to the surrealism of the moment by stating, as he put his arm around a young boy: "I say to the young people, just love this country because you don't realise what's going on around the world.

"There is a silent war taking place against America today, and what we've got to do is make these kids realise that freedom, exercise, and education start with reading some books."

With all due respect, the "only" wars taking place are the very real ones the Trump administration and its allies have started recently, which have maimed and killed thousands and plunged the world into chaos.

With the Fifa World Cup just over a month away, the reality of the situation is starting to present itself. Hotels in the US have reported that in some host cities, the tournament has become a non-event as they battle to fill their rooms — nearly 80% revealed that bookings are well below expectations.

Moreover, over 60% of those proprietors believe it is due to the extreme price gouging of match tickets, the increase in Brent crude oil’s knock-on effect on everything from toothpaste to jet fuel, and the Trump administration’s aggressive geopolitical stance and clamp-down on immigration.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino continues to defend the circus, and his recent comments show an organisation that is completely out of touch with its fanbase. It was reported early this week that four tickets on the Fifa Marketplace — the official ticket vendor for the World Cup — were selling for $2 million for the final.

That’s almost R37m per ticket.

Infantino’s response to this was as sarcastic and arrogant as can be.

"If someone does buy one," he quipped, "I’ll personally bring them a hot dog and a Coke to make sure they have an amazing experience."

Thanks Gianni, I feel assured. I like that Marie Antoinette energy ...

Because of the current US Visa vetting protocols employed by the Americans, the observations above will most likely result in being flagged by the States' authorities. So much for freedom of speech, ne.

Infantino, of course, has had no sarcastic comments about that particular issue. The final irony is that this is the "freedom" Player was so busy praising in the Oval Office.

As we head into June, the message from the "upper echelon" is clear: the World Cup is a party for the elite, hosted in a fortress, moderated by a profit margin, and endorsed by legends who have forgotten what it’s like to pay for their own petrol.

Ah, well, at least I got to see pretty dresses from the Met.