Brazzil

Bush, the tyranic fundamentalist or Lula, the corrupt worker (has he really ever worked, or maybe he just did union politics? Ha!) Get it? I did. Hello Clara, all you're saying is correct, but aren't you being too nice? Why didn't you just say what you really had in mind? Or so I think... Anyway, a good article that put people to think. And you know what? Politicians, they all stink!

Pragmatic and millions enriched Lula. Fundamentalist and millions enriched Bush. How convenient... of course they can be partners, they are so much alike. Poor US... Poor Brazil... Poor us, little people...

There is nothing wrong between the USA and Mexico. the USA are buying 80 % of ALL
Mexican exports.
Mexico is pro FTAA like the vast majority of Latin and South American countries. Just read again Fox comments when Bush was in Argentina not so long ago.
Even Uruguay and Paraguay, Mercosur members, are dreaming of becoming FTAA members.
Even Morales after having said that if elected he will be the "nightmare" of the USA is now asking discussions...with the FTAA because he has goods to sell !.

The truth is that there remain only 3 Presidents against the FTAA :
Lula, Kirchner and Chavez ! That's all !

There is nothing that wrong either with China. the USA have a trade deficit with China of US$ 200 billions...and not in oil,
not in agricultural or services sectors.
JUST in industrial goods produced in China.
The U.S. trade deficit with China alone is in fact far greater than the total of ALL Brazilian exports combined.

Prove that Lula is corrupt, please. Otherwise, STFU.

But corruption in Brazil has now reached unprecedented levels. The Lula administration is currently responsible for the biggest series of corruption scandals in the country’s history. No other government has ever had more top-party leaders, congressmen, ministers, and functionaries under investigation for fraud in such a brief period of time. According to James Petras, a sociology professor and expert on Brazilian politics:
Corruption has devastated the Lula regime in Brazil. Every sector of Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT) has been implicated in bribery, fraud, vote buying, theft of public funds, failure to report illicit campaign financing, and a host of other felonious behavior, revealed almost daily between May-July 2005.

All of Lula’s closest and most important advisers, congressional leaders and party bosses have been forced to resign and are under congressional investigation for illegal large-scale transfers of funds into electoral campaigns, private enrichment, and financing full time functionaries.

Before his election he was a leader of the PT. Even a more important than those who were his lieutenants...such as Dirceu and others. They were also close personal friends.

So just think twice : how could he have not neither known, nor agreed, nor even not participated on the vote buying scandal ?

Why members from other political parties received money from the PT ? Hidden money, originally denied having been received, until evidences were given ?????

Come on.

As one Brazilian poltician said : if he did not klnow.....how did Lula became President !

And finally, has Lula not said at least twice, that afterall this is a common practice and it is known that political corruption exists in Brazil since a long time ?

But obviously, if you are blind, earless and with a small brain, you will continue to trust that there was no vote buying and that Lula is innocent.

In fact this is exactly what Lula and his gang expect from you !

"But corruption in Brazil has now reached unprecedented levels. The Lula administration is currently responsible for the biggest series of corruption scandals in the country’s history."

Wrong and wrong. Twas ever thus, and no Lula isn't.

I knew you couldn't prove it. The press and the opposition has tried to prove that Lula is corrupt and with all their resources, with all the others of all the parties, Lula was not implicated in corruption.

Thanks for playing, but you lose.

So please, STFU.

To "No proof, you lose":

You have just proved the old adage "There are none so blind as those who will not see". Have you ever actually experienced Brazil?

I tend to agree with the writer. Lula deceived his people, there was never so much hope as when he was elected. And everybodys knows Ze Dirceu has been the brain of the Worker's Part project. And the plan was to reelect Lula, then make Dirceu, the brain, president. But there was a hole... an the ones who exposed the hole have a hole too. But they deceived all those who believed they had a dream, the people's dream and would work to make it come through. Myself included.

I was in Maceió to witness the rejoicing at Lula´s win and tried to warn the elated locals that nothing much was ever going to change in Brasil after Lula took office. They said I was cynical and that Lula had to be given a chance. But 500 years of corruption in Brasil is not a good omen for radical change for the better. Sure, he had great ideas and lots of promises. But he soon discovered what the word ´compromise´ meant. His great plans to bring equality and opportunity to the teaming millions of poor, landless, starving and unemployed blacks in Brasil met with strong opposition - simply because they did not benefit the rich and powerful who like their interests protected and who see no value in these ideals, and who certainly have no compassion for these unfortunates.

When travelling in Brasil on a bus with well-off local Brasilians, I often ask a well-heeled fellow-passenger, as we pass a favela..."Have you no shame with this image of your country?" They usually reply with a shrug of the shoulders, (indicating helplessness), give me a look of distain, then carry-on reading their Fola de São Paulo.

Politicians always play nice face-to face, but they are at heart, a backstabbing, deceitful bunch. To trust Bush or the USA is putting too many of our economic eggs in a frail basket.

To me, Lula's biggest recommendation is that he hasn't really done anything. Forma politician that's about as much as you can hope for. When you elect someone that actually wants to DO something, that's when you have real problems, Look at what's happened in the USA. Bush has destroyed three countries and he's just getting warmed up.

Tio Lula, please smile, make nice, and ignore the SOB.

Bush doesn't need friends or Brazil or anyone else. Where do you guys get this kind of Crap? Sounds like S. America is trying to tell people that Bush is this lonely guy needing support. Hog wash! Wake up to Reality! The U.S. needs NO ONE.Dream on if you think Bush need anyone. He's just trying to be diplomatic and nice.

These two words don't go together.

Yes the US needs allies, don't be naive about that. Does he really need Brazil as an ally is another question. It certainly doesn't hurt what you are trying to pass the Free Trade of the Americas. Or you are trying to tempure the influence of Chavez on others in the region. He certainly doesn't need brazil to be an ally like he needs england, but no country can go it alone. Any political pundit no matter how right wing or isolationist will tell you that except maybe patrick buchanan.

The article talks about pragmatic international politics. Except for the desperation in the title, which should be different, it just analyzes what is really going on. Yes, Bush does need Brazil as an ally, not for the same reasons he needs England or other first world countries, but let's not underestimate the strength of Latin America and the need for the US to keep in good terms with the region. I agree with the author.

some one wrote

"The truth is that there remain only 3 Presidents against the FTAA :
Lula, Kirchner and Chavez ! That's all !"

Lula, Kirchner and Chavez are nothing more nothing less than the presidents of the three major economies in South America.
The other countries are way too weak to resist any kind of political pressure.

Some people are so naive it's almost hysterical. They just don't see what's happening in the world and how the US international politics will have to go through pretty major changes. Or else...

i hate it when people r such a warm up like Bush is.

:zzz

:cry

im so so so borded tos death
:zzz

Bush needs South America, of course he does. Not in the same proportion he needs England, but right now, the US needs a lot more than what it is getting. There is economic disaster around the corner, fund cuts in many needed areas and there is more than the country can afford going to a war with no victory. Meaning... this man needs friends, yes. Even if the likes of Lula, who has been a disappointment. They are all dirty. But they need each other.

It's refreshing to read an article that it isn't biased, that looks at things objectively.