Brazzil

It was a good a down to earth overview over lulla.

HH is a bright and straightfoward politic different from Geraldo Alckim who showed in the debate weakness of reasoning thinking.Maybe she'll have more chanceas i 2010 besides more time to mature as a leader.

Helena is a womam who raised to glorify her counterparts.

Just to name a few :
- the military junta ended in 1985
- most of the foreign debts were incurred AFTER and not during the dictatoship.
- in fact most of the foreign debts have been incurred during the 1990's
- the foreign debts repaid have been replaced by even far higher new issuance of local debts. Worse : foreign debts repaid had a far lower interest rate than the new debts issued. A remarkable..... autogoal ! Only a brazilian "financial expert" could do that. Thus dont be surprised that Wall Street applauds.
- Cash subsidizes reach 40/45 millions poors and not "only about a quarter of the 40 million of Brazil's population of 181 million who live below the poverty line"
It is 11 millions FAMILIES that gets cash payments. Or 40/45 millions citizens.
- If your US$ 8 billions in social spending you refer to is for the Bolsa Familia....that is dead wrong. Just read other articles that say that US$ 325 million per month is paid out to 11 millions families representing 45 millions citizens. Therefore it is not US$ 8 billions yearly but Reais 8 billions. Quite a difference by any standard ! It is unfortunately common practice for your government to inflate numbers by providing numbers in US$ then exchanged (multiplied) to Reais, instead of Reais then exchanged (divide) to US$ ! Quite funny that very few medias journalists (supposed educated) dont realize and reveal this trick.
- Contrary to what is being said here or there, Lula did not reduce public pensions by 30 %. Here too some dirty tricks were used. They changed the Basis of the calculations making everyone believes there was a 30 % reduction in public -pensions (CIVIL SERVANTS) but reality is that there was NO reduction at all or only a small one AT BEST. Anyone could scroll the articles of this site. One article was published on that subject that clearly detailed the trick of the change in BASIS comp**ation but did not REALLY affect the amount of pensions paid ! There was some type of compensation in the new formula.....simply !
- Contrary to HH comments there was/is no totalitarism in the socialists European countries.......except if she meant Eastern European countries. But there it was mostly communists not socialists countries. Mixing the 2 regions is not very clever from a supposed educated politician, herself being closer to communism than socialism ! But overall she is good but uses similar rethorics and populists mottos as Evo Morales......who by now betrays himself... and .just as Lula did and still do !
- Lula is against the FTA but that doesnt stop him to negotiate bi-lateral trade agreements....with the USA ! What a joke ! Brazil IS negotiating bi lateral TRADE agreements with the USA without the agreement of the other Mercosul members, but Uruguay needed the approval of Brazil to do what Brazil had the right to do ! Typically Lula's style ....this type of UNfairness !

Again this was just a few of errors and/or omissions in the article.

What is strong about a campaign that is only getting 8% in polls? Lula's nearest competitor is getting 34%. She is far down from that. TO me, it seems she is becoming a non-issue.

What controls and determines so much in Brazil as with most capitalist countries is the question of media control.Most mass media is in no way democratically accountable in any way within capitalist society and is controlled and operated in the interests of US and Latin American big business and the Ruling class, the rich and filthy rich .Is it any wonder then that the media in Brazil and elsewhere choose to severely limit coverage of, largely ignore,marginalise or simply misrepresent the radical social policies and analysis of Heloisa Helena of PSOL,which are in favour of the mass of working class people in Brazil who live in vile poverty.These policies are themselves a challenge to the power of the elite .