The iconic bright canary yellow of Brazil’s national football jersey is known worldwide and symbolises the country’s revolution. But this was not always the case – before 1950, the team wore plain white shirts. The story of how their uniform changed goes back to the 1950 World Cup, where Brazil was expected to win, only for Uruguay to snatch victory in the final. Interestingly, the man who designed the yellow shirt, Aldyr Garcia Schlee, secretly roots for Brazil’s rivals, Uruguay, and when the teams play, Schlee crosses the border to watch the game in a sky-blue Uruguay jersey. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
