You have already heard the news: some stadiums in South Africa will be blessed by means of animal sacrifice. This has agitated the animal rights activists, aroused the goth community, and inspired the cultural relativists debate. The complexity of the human rights/cultural norms issue exceeds the scope of this blog, so I will give lipservice to both sides and hop over to damning statistics of first world meat consumption.

A note: I presume that killing an animal for sacrifice vs. for meat is similar. But, of course, a survey of said animals is logistically impossible – due to linguistic difficulties and the fact they are dead. Dead and being digested in your stomach, you meat consuming monster.

In terms of beef, the US eats about 45 kilograms per capita a year. Conversely, South Africans eat about 13 kilograms per capita a year. Thus, the US consumes more than three times as much beef. Where’s the beef? US stomachs, not South Africa.

Now I know the symbolic response – the animals suffer greatly when sacrificed. I hate to burst your bubble, but the hormone-painkiller inducing meatmarket in the States is brutal.

The 2010 World Cup is only 8 months away, yet the pessimistic build-up has begun. I have concerns about linking to this piece at the Times, but someone must defend the dark continent. And why not a person who has never visited there but once perused through a travel guide.

My flippant executive summary: tickets will be in short demand and crime exists in South Africa. Here´s the prob. The Times cites the statistic of 50 murders a day to scare you. But wait, let´s look at the population percentage. The country counts a total of 48 million populants. 50 times 365 equals 18,250 murders per year.

Now things get interesting. Let´s look at the murder rate for Chicago, a reasonably large city in the United States. Chicago had 450 murders in 2004 and is a population of 2.8 million. Chicago has 1/16th the population and 1/40th the murders. So South Africa has a little more than twice as many murders as Chicago, and Chicago pails in comparison to Detroit.

And let´s just mention that last year LA and NYC both reported more murders than Chicago´s mere 450.

I know that a distinction exists between urban and rural areas. But the intentional homicide rate in South America does not trail Southern Africa by much. Which continent has hosted more World Cups?

Only one statistic bothers me and I cannot deny it – as of now, US citizens have purchased the most tickets to South Africa for the World Cup. Does anybody else fear this toxic combination when murderous American arrive? My travel advisory – stay away from American populated hotels and bars! Boo!

But at least the Germans are prepared.