I laughed aloud when I heard Gianni Infantino, president of Fifa, identifying himself sanctimoniously with a whole list of disadvantaged people because he too was a victim: he was teased at school for having ginger hair.
I had teenage spots, so can I claim unique insight into the sufferings of the Uighurs? That some of those he listed owed their disadvantage to Qatar and its Fifa partner – exploited migrant workers, notably, and gay fans – seemed not to disturb his tranquil assumption of the moral high ground. In its rambling incoherence, shameless narcissism and bare-faced hypocrisy, his speech put its finger on some of the key absurdities of what passes for progressive ethics in 2022.
Most obvious, of course, is the self-indulgent claim to victimhood, so popular today among all who wish to banish any suspicion that their privileges might not be wholly deserved. Infantino is reportedly paid around £3 million a year to head one of the world’s most shamelessly amoral and corrupt organisations. To
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