A Fleeting Joy… and a Blow to the Economy
By: Engineer Mustafa Al-Fa’al
The Iraqi government’s declaration of a two-day public holiday for a football match cannot be viewed as merely an expression of fleeting public joy. Rather, it reflects a clear absence of national responsibility, especially given the delicate economic circumstances Iraq is currently facing.
We are not against joy, nor are we against supporting the national team in any sporting event. These feelings are a natural part of national belonging and public sentiment. However, the question that arises is: What country allows its institutions and public services to shut down for a match, no matter how important it may be?
Iraq today faces significant economic challenges, with a fragile economy almost entirely dependent on a single resource and a clear weakness in its real productive sectors. In such a reality, every day of work disruption represents a direct loss that adds to the burdens on the state and society. In numerical terms, if Iraq’s annual budget is approximately one hundred billion dollars, then the value of a single day of work disruption is close to two hundred and seventy million dollars. This means that a two-day holiday could cost the state more than half a billion dollars. This loss is not limited to abstract figures; it extends to production stoppages, disruptions to business, lost opportunities, and the accumulation of further delays on top of existing ones.
However, what is more dangerous than the direct financial loss is the entrenchment of a culture of escapism, where joy becomes a justification for halting the wheels of life, and popular sentiment transforms into a reason for paralyzing state institutions. Nations are not measured by their ability to shut down, but by their ability to persevere and function even in the most difficult circumstances. They are respected when they continue to fulfill their duties and responsibilities, not when they close their doors for reasons that do not rise to the level of the supreme national interest. We are not against the national team, nor against the people’s joy, but we are against governments being run with a populist mentality. True joy should not come at the expense of work, and a nation is not governed by emotion alone, but by responsibility, discipline, and productivity.
