Brazzil

Sorry, Senator. When I woke up this morning and came to know that you voted in FAVOR of extending the CPMF, I was VERY,VERY disappointed in you sir. Please do explain your position.

That's because he believed in Lula. Lula promised that 100% of the money coming from CPMF was going to be invested in education.

The senator wrote why he chose to vote for the check tax in his own blog: http://www.cristovam.com.br/in...=8&id=5135

Basically because he wanted to abide by the decision of his own party and also because he believes that avoiding taxes is the worst sin.

The senator wrote why he chose to vote for the check tax in his own blog: http://www.cristovam.com.br/in...=8&id=5135

Thanks for posting this link and I did go through the Good senator´s explanation, which did not convince me.Though I like him a lot and his tireless campaign to better the education in this country, I think he missed a great opportunity to capture the hearts and minds of the middle class by disassociating himself from PT. He also gives me an impression that in spite of his holding a doctoral degree in Economics, he is quite naive about "Dirty Politics" and will never ever win a popularity contest against the Prez. Nevertheless, he insists on playing the same tune: The rich against poor, forgetting the EDUCATED and salaried middle class, which is being taxed far higher than during the military government. I don't know for how long you have filing your personal income taxes and we have been doing it for almost 30 years. At that time there were about 4 tax rates and now there are just two, 15% and 27.5%. The government does keep a close track on the ones who have been filing regularly and not too demanding on the "autonomos" and "profissionais liberais" who don't even bother file their returns (or for that matter, pedreiros,tecnicos,muambeiros, zeladores,etc.

To claim that CPMF is the only tax that affects everyone is a MYTH. What about IPI and ICMS that are embedded in the prices of goods sold? Where does the money go? What about IPVA? I can cite dozens of examples.

I was also in favor this tax which was created in 1993 with a different name (IPMF), because a well known Cardiologist was appointed by Itamar as the Minister of Health and he came up with this idea to improve the Health Service, because there was no funds at that time to do it. That gentleman left the government in disgust after a few months. Ever since then, this tax continues to haunt the Brasilians with different names , percentages and for other purposes.It is very tiny (0.38%) compared to the other taxes and I really expected the extension of it, but to my surprise it was killed.As I said in another thread, it is a SYMBOLIC victory for the middle class and nothing else. It did send the message to our elected officials that we are not going to close our eyes, grin and bear, when the public money is being misused. Because of this, I say that our good Senator missed a great opportunity to capture the hearts and minds of the middle class. It doesn't bother me,because I am not planning to run for any election!

start with the street walkers ,
the beer bars on the beach and tourtist places

Didn't think you were in favor of cannibalism; could I be wrong?

This is simple equity that is proposed. Do the people prefer their children in the streets? I have mentioned before how some societies are creating the soldiers who will overturn their societies. These throw-away children are already the soldiers for the drug lords and possibly the next generation will be the soldiers for Al-Queda or other fundamentalist movements. Why not? Give them a reason why they should not fight for their share of the wealth of the nation? Are they so disenfranchised that they are 'stateless persons' besides being homeless persons?

It is true, no one wants to pay taxes. Particularly taxes that go to support rampant corruption. So, instead of having any funds to support social justice, you would starve the very children you need to build the society, without any mechanism to prevent the corruption and theft of what little you do give. How well you have learned the lessons of class warfare from your European masters.

In this generation, the first time in Brazilian history, you will become a net exporter of energy. That is a unique distinction among the nations of the world; some being net importers and others net exporters. Today 'energy' speaks to the wealth or poverty of a nation. The Europeans are finding themselves helpless between the energy they need from Russia and the energy they need from the Middle-East. They detest the uncivilized gun-toting policies of the US, and then know that they cannot divorce themselves from those policies without dooming their own societies. Better that they should create a Union as there is safety in numbers(Mercosul?).

5%, not half, not a quarter, not 10%. 5% of net 'commodity' exports to support the basics; health, education, and housing for all Brazilians. Why commodities? Because those are the national resources of the nation, and the nation is its people. So, gold, iron ore, agriculture, oil are all products given by the land which can never be divorced completely from the people. To divorce these things from the people eventually leads to the problems associated with rise of 'alternative' nationalist ideologies.
Suppose on the other hand, you guarantee these same commodity exporters 5% profit? Their profit can be whatever the market allows, but everyone knows that there are lean times in any commercial endeavor. This is not subsidies, it is investment. The same investment you would make in the lean years to keep business going. When will CVRD return the peoples investment to the government? Never. Yet it was the peoples money to create the business. This is a business proposal and business should invest in the well-being of the society. In this, the Europeans have the better societies and the Americans are still uncivilized.
The Western business infrastructure allows these allocations amongst themselves and deny it to the developing world. That is the current fight over WTO and FTAA. Europe and America want to keep their same subsidized sectors between them and deny that structure to others. Everything for developing societies is socialist, communist, or whatever is called a disadvantage to their domination of markets.
This is why Lula is timid. Progressive to the point of failure while maintaining the status quo. That is why he purged the real progressives from the party. He is afraid of being called a socialist, even though it is the milk he sucked as a child. Now that he is grown up he has to behave in the game. Unfortunately, it is a game of death for some and wealth for others.

Didn't think you were in favor of cannibalism; could I be wrong?

No, I am not in favor of cannibalism and if you thought so, you were absolutely wrong.

Thanks for taking the trouble to comment extensively about my comments. Before I comment again, I would like to know if you have been living in this country for a long time.

WRONG !
First used by rich children...in the SAME countries the ppors are !
Rich countries are telling YOU time and again to stop children labor....but you continue to have millions of them...in Brazil alone ! And this despite your OWN laws !

On a more satirical road :
SWIFT is not dead.
You even bought SWIFT recently for US$ 200 millions.
It is the largest meat company in the USA.

Proof that you like fresh meat....as you like and appreciate children labor when they can bring even a small profit. In Brazil is there not a saying : a profit is a profit at whatever the cost and the pain is ??????
Ohhh I am not talking yet of how Brazilian children are in the FLESH SEXUAL TRADE !!!!!
You enjoy them so much, because they are cheaoer than adults prostitution.
You want a proof ?
Why are they estimated at over 500'000 in Brazil by International Agencies, somewhat themselves hiding the truth, since many NGO's foreign and locals estimates are as high as 2 millions ???????

And what about the millions and millions of street children in Brazil, some of them killed regularly like rats by your deaths squads ? Is this your easy and final "magical" solution to reduce their numbers ?

Such a situation is rather strange in a middle income country. Because Brazil is not a poor country when based on a GDP per capita as many others are. But in many ways you act even far far far worse than poorer countries than Brazil.
Just look at it by yourself if you have only a basic education. And come back with the names of the countries faring worse than Brazil BUT having a similar or higher GDP per capita !!!!
Simple.

I am quite sure my comments, sadly true and unfortunately accurate, will generate a lot of comments without any
measurable and proven sources, not even the Filthy Brazilians sources !
Idiots always disagree but never ever have a measurable or provable counter argument !
Show me how wrong I am, if you can !

SWIFT It is the largest meat company in the USA.

Should read :
SWIFT is the largest meat PACKAGING companyin the USA.



This said the price of the acquisition just show you how small is this company. It would be included in the list of the Russell2000 Index : the 2000 smallest capitalization publicly listed companies in the USA...if it was listed !!!!

- And what about the millions and millions of street children in Brazil, some of them killed regularly like rats by your deaths squads ? Is this your easy and final "magical" solution to reduce their numbers ? -

Sadly, we agree on something. They really think that this is 'acceptable', normal, just another aspect of being Brazilian. Even from some very close to me, the children are insignificant. C'est la vie! Too bad for them!

It is one of the only societies I have seen that "live in the moment". It is not a sustainable character for a nation. I have yet to hear from the learned elites a vision for the future. They are very philosophical and condemn the society to some Greek tragedy. Of course the vision of the oligarch are more money. So many Christians, and God is not in them!

Joao - I only wish to be there. My heart breaks to be there. Will they kill me when I return? Am I not just a pimple on their ass, small but painful, to be surgically removed?

Joao - I only wish to be there. My heart breaks to be there. Will they kill me when I return? Am I not just a pimple on their ass, small but painful, to be surgically removed?

Scott, why should they kill you when you return? Flutter hearts never conquered an empire, my lad.If your heart is here, you should at least come and revisit Brasil. Just make sure you observe everything and say nothing,until you return to your home country. If you have a small pimple on your ass and is painful, we do have some good surgeons who will remove it and it is cheaper to get it done here.Don't be afraid to come back.

I have yet to hear from the learned elites a vision for the future.

Learned elite? I am still looking for one member of this "Learned Elite with a vision for the future". If I do find one, I shall be very happy to record his message and post it, so that you can HEAR it loud and clear.

Hi,
I dont have a problem with paying taxes, as long as I think it is not being wasted and put into the pockets of the corrupt.
But what really erks me is the extent of corruption in Brasil, you just do not think you are getting good value for the money you have taken from your pay packet each month. The sums of money the brasilian government receives in taxes are just enormous, then pissed away or stolen by the corrupt is just staggering. Every country has this problem, but it is just so endemic in Brasil.
End corruption, and you also end a lot of tax avoidance,which means collections increase, which frees a government to lower the tax burden on the middle class.
Seeing over 50% of your paypacket dissappear in personal income tax INDIRECT taxation on your telephone/electricity/rates/transaction fees is just depressing.

I dont have a problem with paying taxes, as long as I think it is not being wasted and put into the pockets of the corrupt.

Good comments and I entirely agree with you as I share your views about the taxes and the misuse of the proceeds from them. In fact, I WAS fully in favor of this CPMF, when it was created in 1993 (with the name of IPMF), because it was meant to be used for health care. All the governments since 1985 have been having voracious appetite for honest tax payer's money and many of us see nothing good coming out of it. I don't cheat on taxes and I expect the government (regardless of the parties) to spend the money wisely.

"Brazil Adopts Swift's Modest Proposal Condemning Children to Slow Death".

Slow death? I beg to differ. The children that do survive birth, eventually die before their first year. Our infant mortality rate is far worse than Zimbabwe, just look at the CIA world fact book. The numbers speak for themselves. I have to agree with you all here, and just say that the same children that we are ignoring today, tomorrow will remember the way society has ignored them. Two years ago I went to Rio and I was in shock, so many more children living in the streets. The Brazilian government has adopted and adapted Swift's idea quite swiftly.

Scott, you have hit the nail. I don't know if you familiar with Samuel Huntington's book, Why Culture Matters you can read it online: http://books.google.com/books?...&dq=samuel huntington why culture matters&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=PnYycjPam-&sig=JDoC1O2izrgcQJst7AEILQLjpPA#PPP1,M1

Read it, I did and it answered a lot of my question regarding issues related to corruption, neglect, how religion helps shape a country, etc. I read it in a class that I had to take for religion and public policy and found quite interesting. I think Brazilians, not Joao , live in a perpetual state of trance, living in the moment as you said. As long as we have beach, bunda, samba, futebol (not necessarily on the same order) we'll be an "almost country". The elite lives in the past and only care for themselves, however, when some of their family member gets shot in the head, they will wake up.

start with the street walkers ,
the beer bars on the beach and tourtist places

Please repeat your stand in this issue!!!!!!!!Are you really in it for CASH???????

Please repeat your stand in this issue!!!!!!!!

He does not have to report to anybody, except to himself and his Brazilian wife Fatima.So, don't order an Admiral to report.You may,however, REQUEST him to explain.

Are you really in it for CASH???????

No, his sense of humor is very subtle and he does not need this kind of illicit CASH.

a sin tax is what i am calling for .
all the free business working along the beach no taxes paid ,
the strip clubs ,
even the small sidewalk stopers could pay fro a business tax to
raise money to feed the poor , if you could keep the goverment from puiting it in there pockets

another free services should be tubes tide for poor women and vactome for poor men .
or no money for any more kidds

why should the tax payers keep feeding thoes that wont work

and make the goverment make jobs at fair pay not unlike the
big deal in the US in the 30 & 40
build lakes , clean rivers ,repair roads

big deal

The good ole Admiral is giving you instructions in coded language. Big Deal=New Deal,just in case you did not understand!