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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been handed a two-game suspension by Uefa for his conduct during the defeat to Liverpool in this season's Champions League quarter-finals.
The 47-year-old was sent off for complaining about a decision at half-time of the second-leg at the Etihad on 10 April.
He will serve a one-game ban next season, with the second game deferred for a year.
After being sent to the stands for protesting a goal being disallowed and verbally abusing a referee, Guardiola appeared to send communications to his coaching staff from his second-half seat high in the main stand.
In a case from the first leg, Liverpool were also fined 20,000 euros for crowd disturbances, including an attack on the City team bus and objects being thrown in the stadium.
Liverpool were fined 6,000 euros for fireworks being sent off and objects thrown in the second leg with City.

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England World Cup 2018 squad numbers revealed as Gareth Southgate drops hint to his starting XI in Russia

England football have released their squad numbers for the World Cup 2018 in Russia, with Jordan Pickford confirmed, as expected, to hold the all-important No 1 shirt.
Gareth Southgate ’s other choices have similarly shed light on a number of other key positions up for grabs, with
Tottenham Hotspur ’s Danny Rose , rather than Manchester United ’s Ashley Young given the No 3 shirt, indicating he will be England’s first-choice left-back.
On the right, Kieran Trippier takes the No 12 shirt ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold with 22, with Kyle Walker wearing No 2 - not No 4 which he has been wearing in the last few squads - although he is still almost certain to continue on the right of a back three.
England 2018 World Cup squad numbers
28 shoe all
The his partners look like they will be Harry Maguire and John Stones , with the pair given the No 6 and No 5 shirts respectively, with Gary Cahill having to settle for the No 15 shirt.
Dele Alli will wear 20 in Russia with
Jesse Lingard taking No 7, although this does not necessarily mean the Manchester United man will start as Alli also wears that number for his club, Spurs.
Captain Harry Kane takes the No 9 shirt with Raheem Sterling wearing No 10.
Scroll through the gallery to see the full squad numbers England will be wearing in Russia this summer.

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
Former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu has had £ 8, 200 in cash stolen from his luggage after he landed in Russia for the World Cup, Sky News reports.
The retired Nigeria international flew from London to Moscow before heading onto Kaliningrad, where the Super Eagles will play Croatia in their opening match of the tournament on June 16 .
When he arrived at his final destination he realised the cash was missing from his luggage , Russia’ s state news agency Tass reported on Sunday.
Two baggage loaders at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow have been detained on suspicion of theft .
Police spokeswoman Irina Volk added , “The stolen money has been confiscated and will be returned to its owner . ”
A similar crime took place at the same airport in March , when a baggage loader was arrested and admitted stealing €56 , 000 from a package belonging to a Moscow bank.
Kanu , 41, played in Kaliningrad in a special “Relive the Legends ” friendly match on Sunday.
The former striker was part of a FIFA legends team that defeated a Russian veterans side 6 - 4 .
Thousands of international fans are set to descend on Russia as World Cup matches are played in 11 host cities .
The first teams will also arrive in Russia this week .
Kanu did not mention the theft in speaking to the media in the Baltic city , where England will play on June 28 , according to The Sun.

Adoga Michael Oyi
FIFA on Monday released all the squads for the Russia 2018 World Cup on their official website.
Thirty-two teams are taking part in the global showpiece which kicks off on 14 June.
Nigeria are in Group D along with Argentina, Croatia and Iceland and Completesportsnigeria.com here presents all the squads of the team’s in the group with their squad numbers, dates of birth, clubs, weight and height…

Sport;
Former FIFA-accredited agent Vincent Rodriguez has tweeted that Man Utd have opened talks with PSG over a move for Italian central midfielder Marco Verratti .
TEAMtalk picked up on the story and claimed it could take up to €100 million (approx £87 million) to lure the player from the French champions. Notably, Juventus are also said to be interested in the 25-year old, and it could be tempting for him to play in his home nation's top division for the first time.
Verratti joined PSG from then-Serie B champions Pescara in 2012, and a move to Juve may prove too inviting to pass up.
At the same time, the prospect of signing on at Old Trafford and playing under José Mourinho is quite the carrot to dangle in front of Verratti. Whatever the case, it seems he's destined to depart Paris before the transfer window slams shut later this summer.
It's worth noting that Rodriguez was wrong last year when he reported that Man Utd were about to sign Atlético Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann. Nonetheless, Verratti's great form in 22 league appearances for PSG last season are sure to have caught the eye of some heavy-hitters across Europe.
This is one rumour worth keeping an eye on for United fans.

BY UCHINO AMATEY

theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
The Central Planning Committee (CPC) of the Cross River State Youth Economic Summit, have presented an Outstanding Achievement award to the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey, and appointed him as their patron.

The award which was presented during a courtesy visit paid on him by members of the committee was in recognition of his outstanding contribution to youth development, socioeconomic advancement, leadership, and personal sacrifices to the service of humanity in the State and the Nation.

Speaking during the event, the CPC Chairman, Amb. Benard Oko said the award was in appreciation of Dr Odey’s service to the state, particularly in the Basic Education Sector.

“We are here to appreciate you as an icon, someone who has distinguished himself in service to humans in general, specifically to SUBEB. We know that a lot of organisations have been here doing same, it is not because people like singing your praises but it is because of the foot print you have left even when you are still in Office. In our popular youth parlance those who have done well we refer to them as living ancestors, and by all calculations, from your performance and the capacity you have shown in this office you are indeed a living ancestor in public service,” he said.

Oko informed that the committee objective is to uplift the economic level of the youths in the State through the Cross River Youth Economic Summit and key into the Industrialization drive of the present administration.

In his words “We are pained when we look around and see our youth wallowing in abject poverty, even those who are graduates cannot get something to do to earn a living. The idea of this summit is simply for service, simply to engage our youths, engage our youths in economic ventures that this state has not taken the initiative to do before and we thought it wise to hit the ground running by organising the first economic summit in Cross River State. This venture of ours will compliment the very vibrant activities of the government of the day, His Excellency the Governor, Prof Ben Ayade has done us proud, we are proud of him because his focus is to industrialise the state and improve our economy.

Programme Coordinator Amb. Jerry Odey said the decision to make Dr Odey patron of the event was based on his stellar qualities.

“Our visit to you today is because you have become a personality in the society that is worthy to be aligned with, and as young people coming together with a lofty idea on how to revive the economy of the youths of Cross River State, we cannot but identify with you for guidance, support, and direction. The person we are identifying with today is indeed a man of outstanding qualities, there has never been anyone more celebrated on social media when it comes to efficiency, proactiveness, and discipline in the service. We have come here today as members of this committee to appreciate you and to clothe you as one of our patrons that will guide us through this activity.“

Responding, the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Stephen Odey, expressed gratitude to the forum for the honour, describing it as a privilege. He further assured of his support in ensuring that the event becomes a success.

He said what drives him to succeed is his determination to achieve success, as well as supporting Governor Ben Ayade to achieve his dream for the State.

Dr Odey stated that the role of Youths in the development of a society cannot be overemphasized. “Youths have a lot of roles to play in other to take us to the next level, we can’t just fold our hands and I am happy that you are coming up with this kind of summit, where you have to sit down together and discuss some issues that will make us grow. Youths generally are very important to any society, without us the society will crumble, “he stated.

While calling on youths to support Governor Ben Ayade, Dr Odey said the building of the British Canadian International School and the payment/ regularisation of about 433 Water Board Contract staff is proof of Governor Ayade’s passion and love for youths.

According to him “I came on a rescue mission with the mandate given to me by the Governor to improve on the standard of basic education to ensure a bright future for our children. This has led to the building of a world class secondary school, British Canadian international school, if you take time to visit that school, you will know that we are preparing the youths for the future,” he stated.

He continued “when I was asked to oversee Water Board as the Acting M.D, I got there and discovered that over 500 youths were languishing in a very terrible situation, I quickly drew the attention of his Excellency and I can proudly tell you that I secured approval from his Excellency for the regularisation of about 433 of them. So within one month Ayade has employed 433 youths with pensionable jobs, no other administration can do this and that is why I urge everyone to continue to support Governor Ayade. A man that has brought so much to Cross River state and a man that is still prepared to do more, give him 8 years and you will see what he will do in this state,” he emphasized.

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
Manchester United are ready to make an £88million bid for Gareth Bale after Real Madrid and the player indicated a deal was possible, reports say.
Bale revealed after the Champions League final he was considering his future and it is believed the Welshman’s commitment to Real has deteriorated rapidly in the last 12 months.
The Daily Record claim United tried to sign Bale last summer and Jose Mourinho was then hopeful the forward would help push through the transfer.
But, Bale decided to stay in Madrid, only to see his game time severely limited by Zinedine Zidane.
After being dropped for the Champions League final, Bale came off the bench to score two goals and fire Real to European glory for the third season in a row.
United want to bring Bale back to the Premier League and have been encouraged by both the player and the club.

Philip Blenkinsop , Robert-Jan

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
Defender Vincent Kompany will require a scan to determine if he can play in the World Cup in Russia after injuring his groin during Belgium’s goalless draw with Portugal in a friendly on Saturday.
The 32-year-old Kompany, a key part of Belgium’s defence, abruptly left the pitch in the 55th minute of the match after appearing to hurt himself when lunging for the ball.
“You could feel that when he came off we were all very much worried,” coach Roberto Martinez told a news conference, adding that it would probably take 48 hours to determine how serious the injury was.
“He said he felt discomfort in his groin when he walked off the pitch. He’s not a young player, he knows his body. At that point it was the right time to come off,” Martinez added.
The injury was the key talking point after Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Portugal as both sides showed attacking intent but no killer blow less than two weeks before the World Cup begins.
Both Belgium and the European champions had promising phases, with Portugal’s Bernardo Silva in particular creating chances at the end of the first half.
Belgium’s best chance fell to defender Jan Vertonghen, earning his 100th cap, as he forced goalkeeper Beto into an acrobatic save midway through the second period.
Belgium began with their strongest possible 11, apart from the injured Axel Witsel and Thomas Vermaelen, and a trial three-man defence.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos made six changes from the team that started Monday’s 2-2 draw with Tunisia and were again without Cristiano Ronaldo, still resting after last weekend’s Champions League final. Striker Andre Silva started on the bench, giving 21-year-old Goncalo Guedes the chance to shine in attack.
Santos expressed satisfaction after the match, saying his team had done well to keep a clean sheet against a team that set a joint record of goals in qualifying for the World Cup.
The hosts made five second-half changes to try out some of their fringe players before Martinez cuts his 28-man squad to 23 on Monday.
“I cannot be fully satisfied because of Vincent Kompany’s injury but apart from that it was the test we needed,” he said, adding that Vermaelen at least appeared to be returning to fitness.
Portugal host Algeria on June 7 before their World Cup opener on June 15 against Spain in a group also featuring Morocco and Iran.
Belgium will play further friendlies against Egypt on June 6 and Costa Rica on June 11. They open their World Cup campaign on June 18 against Panama, before also facing England and Tunisia in Group G.

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
RONDA ROUSEY is set to take part in an epic eight-woman tag team match in the near future featuring the Four Horsewomen vs the Four Horsewomen.
WWE news: What John Cena told Nikki Bella after shock breakup
WWE news: John Cena and Nikki Bella reconciled after SHOCK breakup
WWE news: Nikki Bella makes MAJOR John Cena statement
Popular In the Community Ronda Rousey shows off acting talents in clip at Mae Young Classic
According to Ringside News , Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer expects Rousey to team up with fellow MMA heroes Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke to take on Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Bayley.
This epic encounter between WWE and MMA’s greatest female performers could even take place at Survivor Series on November 18.
Alvarez said: “I don’t know if it’s this Survivor Series but down the road you will see the Four Horsewomen vs the Four Horsewomen.”
Six of the aforementioned athletes teased a feud during the Mae Young Classic last year when Baszler competed and lost in the final to Kairi Sane.
Ronda Rousey may be part of a huge dream match
WWE 2K18 Wrestlemania Edition contents
Wed, March 21, 2018
WWE 2K18 Wrestlemania Edition is out now on PS4 and Xbox One.
PLAY
WWE 2K18 Wrestlemania Edition contents in full [2K] 2K 1 of 12
Charlotte, Lynch and Bayley interrupted an interview featuring Rousey, Shafir and Duke and that resulted in an intense confrontation.
‘Rowdy’ then said: “You name the time, you name the place.”
Rousey shocked the world when she signed with WWE on January at the Royal Rumble and then had the greatest ever professional wrestling debut at WrestleMania 34 where she teamed up with Kurt Angle and beat Triple H as well as Stephanie McMahon.
The UFC legend is now set to take on Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank on June 17 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
The first ever UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion is likely to win the title and kick off a dominant reign on RAW.

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE , FEATURED, LA LIGA
REAL MADRID Five days after guiding the biggest club in world football to its thirteenth European Cup, Real Madrid legend, Zinedine Zidane has left his beloved club. The news has unsurprisingly caused shock and disbelief throughout the footballing world. It leaves Florentino Perez searching for his fourth manager in five seasons — and a club reeling, when it should be basking in its own glory.
The decision also unearths old questions and uncertainties which often fall on Los Blancos like a shroud. Officially we are being told that the Frenchaman has gone on his own terms — not a great shock when you consider he’s one of only three men to win three European Cups as a manager. But the decision suggests there is slightly more going on under the murky waters of the Bernabeu. It also puts a new spin on the oddly candid words of Real’s superstars in their post-match interviews in Kiev.
A HERO IS ALLOWED TO DEPART
It is a symptom of modern football that a figure as huge in the game as Zidane can walk into a club as immense as Real Madrid, win an unprecedented three consecutive Champions Leagues and not be considered the best manager in the world. Such is football now, but you cannot put a serious case together to suggest otherwise. His tactics have been called into question and he has let Barcelona steal a march in La Liga as Real once again look up at their bitter rivals after thirty-eight games. In all honesty though, do their fans care? No, they do not.
What he has done at Real transcends La Liga, and even El Classico. Real’s fans have been treated to a level of European dominance which was supposed to be a thing of the past. No team had successfully defended their Champions League crown until Zindane’s men did it in 2017. Their third win in three seasons is almost an anachronism, reminiscent of the Ajax and Munich sides of the 70s.
Yes, he has inherited a wonderful side, but so has pretty much any man who has walked in to manage Real Madrid since the eighties. They are the natural habitat of the world’s great footballers, but they have seen their territory encroached by Catalan outriders over the past decade. Zidane has undone this, and achieved it with a winning machine, well oiled, battle hardened, but still with the zest of world-class footballers. His achievements will make him immortal at Madrid, even if he cannot be considered a managerial great.
PLAYER POWER
Real have been here before — it’s nothing new. However, it would take a pretty powerful ego to dent Zidane’s tough façade and perhaps this is why the rumours about Ronaldo and Bale just won’t go away. Neither side has been prepared to blink nor budge; and perhaps Perez has panicked and backed the players over the manager. If that is the case, then it is hard to see how Zidane has left on his own terms. The Frenchman said the club needed “a different voice” as he announced to the world his decision to step down. Perez sat resolutely next to him throughout, but the futures of their talismen and global icons cannot ever be far from his mind.
Bale once again proved his class against Liverpool, scoring one of the all-time great final goals as he came off the bench to win the game. Ronaldo is in the autumn of his career to say the least, and despite his evergreen ability, his future too seems uncertain. Bale openly said after the match that he needs more game time next season. Ronaldo was more coded in his comments saying he had been “nice to playing for Real Madrid”.
Both men have sparked five days of speculation with their comments, as the usual big boys circle around the uncertainty around their futures. Perez will desperately want them both to stay, if Zidane was considering his future plans without either player, perhaps this alone was enough to cause a rift between the two.
NOT A GREAT DEAL OF OPTIONS
Arguing against this, it is fair to say that Perez would have been gambling in some very high stakes if he had put pressure on Zidane to walk away. You only need look at the lack of real options out there for a club like Real Madrid. Who could walk in the shadow of their success now? Who would be willing to stake their names on such a risk?
Wenger has been linked, Conte might be available, there is also Sarri at Napoli and Pochettino at Spurs, but the in reality, the market is not great. Surely Perez would have been aware of this, unless he has an ace up his sleeve. Real Madrid will always have a gravitational pull for the best talent either in the technical area or on the pitch, there isn’t really too much of a hard sell required. It would not be a complete surprise to see a big name unveiled in front of the Spanish press this summer.
Perhaps too, they are thinking of promoting from within, with former fan’s favourite Guti, currently coaching the club’s youth set up. This has worked with Zidane, and in all honesty the players there do not need too much coaching, such are their achievements and experience.
Whatever they choose to do, from a purist point of view, it would nice to see the club try and shake off the circus that often follows it. The club is surely above such indignity. This is a time for celebration, which will now feel tainted for all involved as jubilation once again becomes speculation.

Paul Wilson

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com

Zinedine Zidane’s exit from Real Madrid on the same day Frank Lampard took over at Derby County underlines the insanity of the world the former Chelsea midfielder is entering

F rank Lampard was minutes into his new job as Derby County manager when the news came through that a vacancy had just cropped up at Real Madrid. “He certainly quit at a good time,” Lampard said, thinking on his feet. “I don’t know Zinedine Zidane’s plans but he will want a holiday, I’m guessing, before he does anything else. You can’t beat that for going out at the top, though. Maybe that’s a lesson to us all.”
First you have to reach the top, of course, and not that many managers do. Lampard was careful not to promise promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge, but it is no secret that is Derby’s fervent desire. The club’s seventh manager in three years knows perfectly well that nothing he has achieved in the game as a player will count for much if his side are off the pace three or four months into the season. Lampard has relatives with experience of management, his father, Frank, and uncle Harry Redknapp. Did they not warn him off this most insecure of careers? “Quite the opposite,” Lampard replied. “Maybe they are the ones who are mad.”
All managers are a little bit mad. Even though the job these days is hugely well-rewarded, you still need the combination of drive, megalomania and obsessive attention to detail that you always did to put yourself up for it. The theory used to be that when you reach the top, where you are in charge of a big club with the very best players, things would get slightly easier.
Arsène Wenger might dispute that but Zidane’s resignation five days after entering the history books with a third Champions League title in three seasons puts a whole new spotlight on the madness at the top end of the management game. To put what Zidane has just done into perspective, only two other managers have won the European Cup three times, and Bob Paisley did so towards the end of his career while Carlo Ancelotti had been a manager for 10 years by the time he completed his treble. Zidane has been in management for only three years. Each has ended in big silverware (even if this season was not quite as glittering on the domestic front) and he is now saying he has had enough.
From the sound of it he has had enough of
Real Madrid, not necessarily of football management, though that is hardly the sort of ringing endorsement to make his eventual successor impatient to start work.
While the Real Madrid position has famously proved a poisoned chalice for even the best and most established managers – Ancelotti, José Mourinho, Vicente del Bosque and Fabio Capello have all been shown the door after varying degrees of success – the job description at the moment is particularly mind-boggling.
To do: catch up with Barcelona in the league; sort out the Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale situations, bringing in high-quality replacements if necessary; pursue Neymar; and reach the Champions League final as an absolute minimum, even if winning it three times in a row is not strictly necessary.
No wonder Chelsea’s unhappy Antonio Conte was instantly linked with the task. Mauricio Pochettino might be the more rational, long-sighted solution, but Real are not exactly famous for being rational and long-sighted. The Tottenham manager must think long and hard about whether it would be wise to trade his current stability for the insanely pressurised though undoubtedly alluring role at Madrid, though Conte could much more easily make the jump from one madhouse to another.
For a start he seems to be in need of a new job anyway, with Chelsea going so far as haggling over the price of importing Maurizio Sarri from Naples as a replacement, and for another his angry ant persona would fit right in at the Bernabéu, whereas the steady and reliable Pochettino might end up being treated like Rafa Benítez.
News that Roman Abramovich has pulled the plug on Chelsea’s proposed £1bn stadium, apparently in protest at off-handed treatment over a visa renewal, is being interpreted as the beginning of the end of the financial muscle the club has enjoyed over the last 15 years.
Conte would doubtless argue that the beginning of the end was actually about a year ago, just after Chelsea had won the title, though if Abramovich is suddenly being careful about spending nothing can be taken for granted. Conte might have to see out the last year of his contract, for instance, instead of picking up an expected £9m in compensation, while Abramovich must also be wondering, just like everybody else, how on earth Napoli can demand any sort of compensation for a coach they have already removed and replaced.
No wonder Benítez, who has worked for both Real Madrid and Chelsea, is content to keep a low profile at Newcastle. Mike Ashley is no one’s idea of a dream owner, yet in the mad, mad world of top-level management there are plenty worse.
One can only wish Lampard the best of luck at the club where a lot of the madness started. “Last of all, bottom of the heap, lowest of the low,” shouts the Derby chairman Sam Longson, giving a rundown on how a club is run just before dismissing the title-winning Brian Clough in David Peace’s
The Damned United , “comes the one who in the end we can all do without. The effing manager.”
Lampard knows the story, has seen the film. “It’s a high-pressure job,” he said on becoming the newest recruit to the asylum. “That’s the nature of the beast.”

Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com

Part of the excitement of watching any World Cup is seeing exciting young talents from all around the world strutting their stuff on the grandest stage of all, and countless past tournaments have been filled with examples of raw teenage stars bursting onto the scene and astounding fans all over the world with skills beyond their years.
England fans will remember 18-year-old Michael Owen’s outstanding individual goal at the 1998 World Cup, for example, while a 17-year-old Pelé blew minds and broke records for Brazil at the 1958 edition of the tournament, scoring six goals on his way to lifting the trophy.
No 17 or 18 year olds have been called up for this summer’s tournament, but there are still some very exciting young stars set to jet off to Russia and show what they can do when pitted against and alongside the best players on the planet.
Some of those young players are already championship-winning superstars, while others are relatively unknown right now, but could propel themselves into stardom in just a few weeks’ time when the great event finally kicks off.

#project1000


Theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com

By God's Grace, 9th June 2018, it is set to be a meeting that we all would be glad to be a part of now and the years going forward.

Please come prepared to engage, come with contributions and questions. Also, please do not come alone, Tag and drag a friend, invite every Yala person you know outside and within the city of Abuja.

We have delegates coming from Lagos, Yala, Ikom, Ibadan and neighboring cities.

Come prepared to move society and our community forward. Congratulations for birthing this and thank you for being a part of this. God Bless you.

Participants will be required to fill out this form which will be reviewed by a team of 20 to find the best 1,000 persons to represent the various ethnic groups of Yala.
https://goo.gl/forms/CZJB62R9v6VUsbwH3

Schedule:
1st meeting – Drafting committee

Inquiry: +234 703 361 6010, +234 703 052 9324.  0806 843 8974, 0813 625 6450, 0706 500 1216, 0805 641 7253.

theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com
In line with popular opinion and demand, we have commenced the "One Million Signatures" for #JudeNgaji2019 Senatorial ambition.

Every day is a new beginning, so we need to treat it that way. We need to stay away from what might have been and look at what can be.

We must learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for a better and prosperous tomorrow for our Senatorial district.

Remember, most regrets comes from mismanagement of time. Therefore, let us use our time well and profitably as time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. Lost time is never found again! #Yes!

As a Team, we must remain resolute and steadfast with the  power of determination.
Determination releases the strength to surmount opposition. Determination sustains positive action and positive actions when repeated establish positive outcomes.

Get set, get involved and rescue our senatorial district. #Yes......We Can!

June 1,2018.



theeaglesvoice.blogspot.com

To permit politics to dictate your relationships is to give strangers who care nothing about you more power than they deserve.








So many people I know are getting into Facebook fights, Twitter wars, Instagram arguments, and Snapchat squabbles. What begins as an ideological dispute ends in bitterness.






 People are provoking others, demanding those who do or don’t support their candidate leave their networks, cutting ties with friends and family, and all because of political differences.







I can’t even imagine what the Thanksgiving table will be like this year!
People perceive the stakes this year to be that high. To be sure, political philosophy does matter and does carry high stakes.






 However, the partisan struggle for the control of the state apparatus by this or that temporary manager doesn’t matter as much as election season seems to suggest. You might be being manipulated, and friendships and families are actually too precious to throw away for transient reasons.







It’s a pity to cause permanent rifts, and so unnecessary. The people who rearrange their personal relationships for the election imagine that they are taking control of their lives.







 They don’t seem to realize that they are actually letting strangers control their lives strangers who care nothing for them in a system that actually seeks to divide people so it can conquer them. To permit politics to fundamentally alter something so important as friendship is to give politicians more importance than they deserve.







Trolling and Banning
Now, of course there is a proviso here. If there is someone in your network who is deliberately trolling you, harassing you, and goading you to respond, the best possible response is to block them. Not talk back. Not engage in a tit for tat. Just quietly block, without drama or announcement, much less denunciation.







Most public people I know have blocked as many as one hundred plus people over the past year, simply because this election season has been so contentious, with the alt-right and
alt-left (who oddly agree on so much) battling it out on social media,I Egbara Emmanuel was recently blocked by somebody I laboured for for years to project her before the world,this will be a story for another day, Blocking is the far better path than engaging them.






 Vicious back and forths on the Internet can be life-consuming and draining. People who are trying to do that to you deserve exclusion from your conversation circle.







Apart from these cases, it strikes me as pointless to hurl someone out of your life because of political differences.
First, by denying yourself access to different points of view, you risk isolating yourself from a critic who might teach you something you need to know, maybe about anything in life, but maybe even about politics.








Second, talking to people with different opinions keeps you making sense and speaking in a civil way, addressing others in a way that could persuade them.








Third, and most critically, to isolate yourself, hate others for their views, and regard people with different points of view as less deserving of dignified treatment, plays into exactly what the political system wants for you to do.








But Aren’t They Aggressors?
A counter to my point was offered by a friend of mine last year. Speaking as a libertarian, he said, he regards anyone who supports some government action – even just casually and without much thought – as wittingly or unwittingly contributing to an opinion culture that supports rising political violence.







 The only friends he believes deserve the time of day from him must hold steadfastly to his voluntarist perspective, else he regards them as a direct threat to his life and liberty.







Now, this strikes me as vastly too severe. The truth is that most people who support some government action do not regard themselves as violent people. They believe that they are favoring something that is good for others, perhaps fostering the better life for the community.








For example, if a person favors higher spending on public education, they believe that they are pushing for policies that are good for others, not calling for violence against taxpayers to support unworkable programs. How can you possibly persuade them otherwise if you cut off all ties?
And it’s not just libertarians who can be this way. A good friend of mine was a casual lefty and, like most from his tribe, he was dead serious about the issue of climate change. I had no idea until the subject came up over coffee. I expressed some doubt that the science was truly settled concerning all causes and effects, solutions, costs and benefits, and so on. I was actually very measured in my comments, but somehow they caused him to blow up, call me a science-denying, tin-foil-hat-wearing capitalist apologist, and then actually leave the conversation. And that was it.








I was stunned. I was merely disagreeing with him, however cautiously. But somehow, he had come to believe that anyone who disagreed with him bears some responsibility for the rising sea levels, the melting of the polar ice caps, and the gradual disintegration of the planet, even though I’ve written very little on the topic at all.








He was letting politics control his life and even determine his friendships. Both of us are spiritually poorer as a result of this friendship loss.







And consider the toxic effect the rising politics of personal identity – on the left and the right – are having on the ability of people to find value in each other.







 Imagine how you would make me feel if you believed my color represents a continuing stain on the world order. There is no chance for any kind of engagement; after all, I cannot change my race. Or what if I believe your blackness or gayness or atheism or whatever is leading to demographic or cultural destruction – how can we possibly be civil to each other? The politics of identity is causing precisely these sorts of irrational and pointless splits among us.










What Is the Point of Friendship?
What the libertarian and the lefty I mentioned above do not realize is that they are guilty of the same error of allowing politics to invade the conduct of their lives and determine the conditions of their personal happiness. Once this kind of thing starts, there is truly no end to it.








Must everyone agree with you on every jot and tittle of your ideology to be your friend? Must there be zero tolerance for even the slightest difference in outlook, priority, application, and goal of your particular political outlook? In other words, must all your friends believe exactly as you believe?








If this is your perspective, you might consider: there is not much point to being friends and engaging in conversation with someone who has the exact same view on all things that you have. It seems rather boring. Might as well stay home and reflect on your own infallibility.









I like to think of friendship much the way we think of economic exchange. In economics, goods and services do not exchange in the presence of perfect sameness. They exchange because each party to the exchange believes himself or herself will be better off than he or she was before the exchange. It is only in the presence of unequal expectations that exchange becomes mutually rewarding.










It is the same with friendship. We need to hear different points of view. We need the insights of others. Even if we don’t accept them in total, we can still hope to understand people and the world better by considering what others have to say – with sincerity, warmth, and honesty. In other words, friendships like this help us have an open mind and keep us all humble and teachable.







Candidates Will Betray You
Neither is it a good idea to give up a friendship based on loyalty to a particular candidate. The top two contenders for the senatorial seat have held many different and conflicting views on a huge range of political issues, from development to security to economy. These people are wired to be adaptable based on the polls. To follow one or the other all the way to the point that it affects your associations is to risk compromising your own intellectual integrity.
Neither is worth that.








One of the great tragedies of politics is that it can take people who in real life would be peaceful and loyal and loving friends and turn them into bitter enemies. I’m always struck by this when I see a political rally, with face offs between backers and protesters. What exactly is gained by this? If you put these same people in a shopping mall or movie theater or restaurant, they would have every reason to get along and no reason to be screaming obscenities at each other.








We should hold on to that realization. Each of us is a human being with feelings, hopes, dreams, and a vision of a life well-lived – every single person, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, or ideology. Politics should change nothing about that.









If we long for a better world of mutual understanding and peace, one way to help achieve it is to live as if it already exists. Above all, that means never letting politics get in the way of rewarding human relationships.




I remain your brother Egbara Emmanuel Ikaba.