Brazzil

The recently signed agreements between Brazil and France are about much more than the purchase of armaments. They indicate the creation of a military industrial complex, a goal which forms part of the National Defense Strategy of Brazil. This new industrial superpower, owner of the seventh largest oil reserves of the world and the world's largest area of natural biodiversity in the Amazon, is now seeking to protect its riches and assert itself as a new military power.

Sometimes it seems the modus operandi of the large modern warfare businesses closely resembles the intrigues of a television soap opera. It took President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's announcement that he was leaning toward purchasing 35 fifth generation fighter planes from the French company Dassault, for the Swedish Saab and the American Boeing to fall over themselves to profess their unrequited love for all things Brazilian.

The companies are responding to the announcement that Brazil is renovating its aging fleet and also planning to create the largest military industrial complex in the southern hemisphere. On September 7, Brazil's Independence Day, Lula and the French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed off on the purchase of five submarines, four of them conventional and one nuclear, and 50 military transport helicopters, all for a total of US$ 12 billion. At the same time, Lula announced Brazil's intention to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets, which would increase the financial transaction to US$ 20 billion.

The fighter jet story goes back to 1998. The Brazilian Air Force has 110 jets which were built in the 1970s and 80s and which are now too old and outdated for a country whose needs include patrolling 8 million square kilometers of territory, 17 million kilometers of national borders, and vast offshore oil platforms.

The newest aircraft are 12 Mirage 2000s, which were bought second-hand and are well past their retirement date. By contrast, Chile has 28 F-16s, and Venezuela has 24 Sukhoi 30s, both the most advanced models available.

In the running for the contract are the French Rafale, the Swedish Gripen, and Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet. There is not much of a difference between them on a technical basis, but their prices do vary dramatically: each Gripen costs US$ 50 million, and the Rafales are priced at US$ 80 million.

The advantage that the F-18 has is that it is the most tried and tested fighter plane on offer. The French, however, have from the start guaranteed to give the Brazilians the source codes - the digital heart - of the aircraft, something Boeing is unable to do without the authorization of the US Congress.

Defesanet, the Brazilian website specializing in military affairs, maintains that the purchase of a significant arms cache is always accompanied by shady maneuvers on the sidelines, and the agreement between Lula and Sarkozy is no exception.

On the night of September 6, during a state dinner, Lula complained to Sarkozy about the "absurd price" of the Rafales. Shortly thereafter, the French president sent Lula a personal letter, stressing French willingness to participate in the "unrestricted transfer" of technological intelligence. The French president knew that this is a key issue for Brazil.(1)

Furthermore, Sarkozy raised the possibility of manufacturing the Rafale in Brazil for the Latin American market, which would reduce the overall price. That same night Lula met with his minister of Defense, Nelson Jobim, and the commander of the Air Force, as well as the ambassadors of France and Brazil to prepare the announcement, which was to be made the next day following the Independence Day military parade: Brazil was to begin negotiations with Dassault for the purchase of the 36 fighter planes and 10 K-390 military transport planes. These were to be built by the Brazilian company Embraer.

The announcement was earth shaking. The Swedish and American companies sprung into action. Two days after the announcement, on September 9, the US Embassy in Brasília released a statement defending the F-18 Super Hornet because "we believe it is better than the opposition."(2)

The exact meaning of "unrestricted transfer" of necessary technology remained vague, but its inclusion served to increase tension among the rivals. Relations with the United States were already frayed at the edges since only months before the United States blocked the sale of Brazilian made combat planes, the Super Tucano, to Venezuela because it contained some US-produced components. Lula seemed to enjoy playing the game, at one point remarking, "At this rate we will soon get all the fighter jets for free."

The deadline for the submission of the proposals from the three companies was extended from September 21 until October 2. On September 11 the Brazilian Air Force released a "clarification regarding the FX-2 Project" (FX-2 being the name given to the fleet renovation).

In the document, the five criteria the government would use to evaluate the various proposals were put on public record: technology transfer, Brazilian control over weaponry, international cooperation agreements with the national arms industry, and commercial and maintenance contracts. The document added that it had asked all bidders to define clearly what they meant by "unlimited and necessary technological transfer."

In the middle of all this, on September 24, two Rafale jets fell into the Mediterranean Sea. The accident provoked much discussion in the Brazilian press, with many noting that the jets had never been sold outside France. On September 28, the Brazilian company Embraer, who will eventually have the contract of producing the jets in Brazil, gave its verdict at the request of the air force: it believed the Swedish Gripen are the best option, their advantage being that as the new generation Gripen has not been manufactured yet, the Brazilian company could "learn by producing" as they are "not interested in only making and supplying spare parts, but want to acquire and master the knowledge they don't yet have."(3)

On October 1st, one day before the deadline to modify proposals, the presidents of Boeing and Saab arrived in Brazil to "launch an offensive to try and derail the French advantage."(4) On that day, Boeing distributed a communiqué that reiterated there would be a transfer of technology to Brazil, the French called upon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to criticize the Swedish model because it existed only on paper, while the Swedes pointed out that they were the one who had promised Brazil the most voluminous technology transfer. The president of Saab, Ake Svensson, even surmised that at some point in the future, "we might become dependent on Brazilian industry."(5)

In addition to all the wooing, France also promised it would defend Brazil's ascent to a seat on the United Nations Security Council, a well-known ambition of Lula's. All that has transpired this past month, the month of the Brazilian Fighter Jet soap opera, is astonishing in that it indicates just how much the world has changed: three of the biggest and most powerful companies of the northern hemisphere are pleading and cajoling with ever more promises to a southern hemisphere government who is ready to spend billions on buying their product. Lula and the National Defense Council will make their decision in the next few weeks.

National Defense Strategy

On December 15, 2008, a 70-page document was signed by President Lula, the Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim, and the head of the Office of Strategic Affairs, Roberto Mangabeira Unger. This report had taken a year to prepare, and was the work of, among others, the commanders of the Brazilian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The document is entitled "National Defense Strategy" and its aim is to present an accurate and current portrait of the state of the defense system of a country that is increasingly assuming a greater role on the international stage.(6)

The document extends its time scale to the year 2030 and encompasses short-, medium-, and long-term plans and projections in order to "modernize the national defense structure." It incorporates a reorganization of the armed forces, and a restructuring of both the finances and the equipment of the forces. It furthermore insists that defense should focus on three principal components: cybernetics, space, and nuclear.

The major priority, however, is the decision to concentrate on the importance of combat: "In order to dissuade (an enemy) it is necessary to be prepared to engage in combat. Technology, no matter how advanced it may be, will never be an alternative to combat. It will always only be an instrument of combat." It is here that Brazil distances itself greatly from the Pentagon, where it is believed that technology is the way to win wars that are lost on the ground. One can say that Brazil has assumed an autonomous way of thinking.

Despite noting that the Brazilian Constitution prohibits the manufacturing of nuclear weapons, the document stresses the "strategic necessity to develop and control nuclear technology." In the beginning of September, the Brazilian press revealed that Brazil could develop nuclear weapons. The same day Sarkozy arrived in Brazil, the results of a report prepared by the Military Institute of Engineering was leaked which made clear Brazil had the capacity to produce atomic weapons.(7)

Of special mention is the proposal to look at the finances and their disbursements. The army has always directed its attention to the south, toward a possible confrontation with Argentina, an idea with an unmistakable Eurocentric influence. It has now proposed to position the army in the middle of the country, as the real territorial threat comes from the North (8) (i.e.: Plan Colombia).

The air force, currently stationed in São Paulo, and the navy in Rio de Janeiro, will have to patrol the whole of the South Atlantic, which holds the recently discovered enormous reserves of oil, which have catapulted Brazil to the seventh largest oil reserve in the world.

In addition, the navy has the job of patrolling both the mouth of the Amazon River in the North and the Paraguay-Parana in the South. Above all else, however, is protecting Brazilian unconditional sovereignty over the Amazônia region: Brazil rejects "any attempts at curtailing its decisions with respect to preserving, developing, and defending the Amazon region. Brazil alone takes care of the Brazilian Amazon, for itself and for all of humanity."

This is one of the most sensitive points for the Brazilian military and they react speedily each time voices are raised calling for the "internationalization" of the Amazon region.

The section devoted to the national military defense industry is one of the most important. It stresses the "development of independent technology" with the objective of "progressively eliminating the purchase of imported products and services." It asks the state to help support private arms firms and those still unprofitable but vital components of an industry in development. In return, the state will have the right to exercise a certain control over these private firms, the logic being that the nation's defense is always placed above private interests.

This is why, whenever Brazil purchases arms, it demands with it the transfer of technological knowledge. The four conventional submarines and the 50 helicopters Brazil is buying from the French will be manufactured in Brazil. The same will happen with the fighter jets. UNASUR guarantees Brazil the Latin American market and the agreement with the French gives Brazil the exclusive access to the sale of the technology in that market.

The autonomy or independence of a country is usually defined in the intellectual realm. The National Defense Strategy reflects this maturity and independent thinking. Point 16 of the strategy document illustrates this: "It is imperative to organize a nation's armed forces around its own capacities, not around a specific enemy." This is a clear departure from other types of defense strategies, and, from a visionary point of view, clearly aligns itself with a philosophy of autonomy.

Toward an Autonomous Military Industrial Complex

Brazil aims to produce the majority of the military hardware it needs. It already has Embraer, the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, behind Boeing and Airbus. It also has Helibras, the largest producer of combat helicopters in South America, which is in partnership with EADS of Europe, and currently also makes armored tanks, a certain range of naval ship, airplanes, ammunition, and in the future plans fifth generation fighter jets and submarines. The four submarines purchased from France will be built in the shipyards of Rio.

Brazil requests technology from various countries, mainly Europe, but also from the Third World. A new Franco-Brazilian company will be created to build and arm the nuclear submarine purchased from France, while all the helicopters will be manufactured at Helibras. As for the fighter jets, the first few would be built in France but the remaining 30 will be produced by Embraer, having thus acquired the necessary knowledge to manufacture the latest generation of fighter jets.

Foreign Minister Celso Amorim was unequivocal in this respect: "The transaction involving the Rafale is not merely a purchase, because they will be manufactured in Brazil and there will be the possibility that they will then be sold throughout Latin America."(9)

And so Brazil will begin to play in the big leagues of the arms trade. It has even managed to secure a place within that select club of manufacturers of nuclear submarines which, until now, consisted only of the United States, Great Britain, Russia, China, and France, coincidentally the five permanent members of the Security Council.

The former ambassador of Brazil in Colombia, Julio Cesar Gomes dos Santos, remarked that "the countries that buy arms are vulnerable because they are dependent on the supply of spare parts. Chavez has grounded F-16s because the Americans will not send him a single screw. Brazil has a defense industry so it has only to depend on itself. Brazil does not buy arms. We are entering into a business arrangement whereby we buy the first few planes only if the next are built in Brazil under the condition that they may be sold in the Latin American region. That is the difference."(10)

The military expert Juan Gabriel Tokatlian says that it is "one thing to be an emerging power in Asia, like India, or in Africa, like South Africa, but it is quite astonishing to do it in this part of the world usually considered to be the backyard of the United States."(11) It is precisely for this reason that Brazil needs to distance itself gradually from the United States, without aggression or jubilation.

Nevertheless, as admirable as the steps toward autonomy are, Brazil still lags far behind the United States. Brazil proposes to spend US$ 15 billion on defense, while the United States spends US$ 500 billion. In 2006, only 0.6% of Brazil's gross domestic product (GDP) was spent on defense research and development, while the figures for the United States are 56%, for Spain 24%, and for France 23%.(12)

A Rising Power in the US Backyard

The recent treaty between Colombia and the United States allowing the latter country to use seven military bases in Colombia provoked much high-level military discussion in the Brazilian press. Luis Eduardo Paiva Rocha, retired general and professor at Brazil's Officer Training Academy, published an article in Defesanet provocatively entitled, "Strategic short-sightedness and military indigence are the biggest threats to Brazilian sovereignty."(13)

The general criticizes the "populist hysteria" of the Bolivian leadership with regard to the Colombian military bases and points out that neither Brazil nor any other neighboring country presented an alternative: "The Colombian bases to be used by the United States would not present a problem for Brazil if Brazil had the military power which reflects the international standing in the world it purports to have. What threatens us is our weakness because 'amongst other things, to be unarmed is to be insignificant (Machiavelli).'"

He adds that "the Brazilian Armed Forces are completely incapable of resisting an invasion from a modern military power." The threats will most probably come from those attempting to gain control of the riches of the Amazon or the oil reserves of the South Atlantic. The current commander of the navy, Julio Soares de Moura Neto, responded much in the same vein when asked to comment on the French deal by the Folha de S. Paulo: "Brazilians must become aware of the fact that we have enormous wealth in the sea and the navy must be constantly on alert in order to defend the nation's sovereignty."(14)

The admiral continues by warning that the risks have increased dramatically now that Brazil is not only an emerging economic power but also a potential oil-producing super-state. One comment in particular reveals the changed attitude toward the United States: when George Bush reactivated the Fourth Fleet and deployed it to the South Atlantic, the decision "was conveyed to Brazil neither politically nor diplomatically."

This must be why Lula, sure that Brazil is well on its way to becoming a great power in the 21st century, is also building the framework which will ensure that the country can defend itself militarily. Brazil will have the largest navy in Latin America as well as the largest air force. It will have the only military industrial complex in the region. The fact that it has sought the help of France, a country that has so openly maintained its political and military independence from Washington, is very significant.

It is possible, as maintained by the analysts of Dedefensa, that Washington will regard the actions of both Brazil and France as a "declaration of war."(15) This development would fit in perfectly with the world vision as seen by the elites who benefit most from the Washington Consensus.

The situation was perhaps best summarized by the Italian Dario Azzellini, a specialist in the "new wars": "War is no longer needed to establish a new economic model - war itself is the model."(16)

Raúl Zibechi is an international analyst for Brecha of Montevideo, Uruguay, lecturer and researcher on social movements at the Multiversidad Franciscana de América Latina, and adviser to several social groups. He writes the monthly "Zibechi Report" for the Americas Program (www.americasprogram.org).

Translated from "Brasil emerge como potencia militar" by Isabella Weibrecht.

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written by Leo Bonneville, October 14, 2009

This sounds like a personal problem...For the United States!

The USA has always thought of Brazil as just another South American country, without military capabilities, meaning not a threat to the US, but now its obvious that Brazil is a threat not military threat but an economic one, so I wouldn't be surprised if the United States started to imposed sanctions against Brazil until they decide to drop their military industrialization(which will never happen).

I never thought I'd say this but Ch.C was right, no world power imports armaments, they make their own.. And its starting to look like Brazil is about to make lots of them, in order to protect their sovereignty.

Not even the United States can be mad about that.

Case closed...

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what a stupid headline...
written by asp, October 15, 2009

i really think its f**ked up people that indulge in fantacies that the usa would invade brazil for recources...it just aint going to happen

i cant see it under any circumstances unless the right f**king wing stages a coup in the usa and desides to take over the world

it just sounds like the silliest noncence and no way addresses the real problems that are going to be facing the are in the future

cmon people get real, the hemiphere will get no where inventing silly cold war ghost fantacies of the usa invading brazil for oil, or water or wood from the forest ....sheeeesh what bulls**t

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to Leo Boonville
written by HANS, October 15, 2009

I don't think Brazil is an economic threat, or a threat in any capacity to the US. In regards to weapons purchases to obtain military technology, Brazil used to have a very robust domestic arms industry.

Brazil emerged in the mid-1980s as the leading arms producer and exporter among the defense industrializing countries, and the sixth largest arms exporter in the world. Although there were over 500 manufacturers of defense-related equipment in Brazil, three firms have been largely responsible for Brazilian defense exports: in aircraft, Embraer; in armored fighting vehicles, Engesa; and in missiles, Avibras.

However, with the end of the Iran-Iraq war and the decline in state support, the Brazilian arms industry collapsed in the late 1980s, and by the mid-1990s had virtually disappeared. In early 1990, Brazil's two major manufacturers, Engesa and Avibras, filed for bankruptcy. Engesa has been dismembered, with some of its companies sold to private interests, and ordnance-related firms taken over by the state and integrated with the Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil.

At the risk of stereotyping, I am beginning to perceive most Brazilians to be relatively ignorant regarding facts. Often times I hear these biased attacks against the US based solely on speculative rumor and misinformation.

As far as the article, again its sounds like a Brazilian attempting to make things far more significant than they really are. Truthfully, the purchase of the F18 would have provided superior weaponry along with the technology. As far as France, they are a part of NATO so the "Declaration of War" is another drop in a vast ocean of ignorance that is so pervasive in Brazil.

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Leo Bonneville YOU ARE AN IDIOT
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 15, 2009

can you see the US shakeing in its boots .

your navy is a moth ball fleet , the last 4 war games the US and brazil had with other countries in SA the US bought the fuel and also had brasilian sailors on US ships as brazil could not mass enough ships even to play war .

and france has not won a war sence napolen lost in russia .

you are right the US does not care about military . as your senators rob all its military money to chase minor prositutes in brazilia.

asp what a stupid headline...
YOU ARE SO RIGHT but brazilians beleive they are the center of the world and every one of us wants to be them or invade them or take something from them or there country .

WHY they sell it to any one with a bit of money

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Forrest Allen
written by HANS, October 15, 2009

I am really beginning to enjoy your posts.

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Someone get some haterade to FORREST hes Perspiratin'
written by Leo Bonneville, October 15, 2009

Its funny how ignorant us Brazilians are..huh?

Yeah, that's not borderline stereotyping at all HANS, you should be good, bud!

This article might be a little over the top sure, and with a stupid headline..No one denies that and HANS I do appreciate your facts..

but.. but.. how does that change the future again? And the reality of the things?

I LOVE AMERICA AS MUCH AS I LOVE BRAZIL.. I know! Its hard to believe..

I can see very well that unless there are diplomatic changes made by both the US of A and Brazil, to rebuild this relationship(which has never been the best of relationships, with one never really trusting the other 100%).. Brazil and the US will just keep growing further apart, while Brazil slowly takes over as the new WORLD POWER.. and I'm sure the US won't be far behind, lets be real, its really almost impossible for the US to lose complete irrelevance, right?

And so what if Brazil used to have a military industry? based on what you said, it was a big one, leading the world..

Do you know honestly think that the US would like Brazil taking over as South America's "go to guys"? I was raised in the United States bud, I know a lot about "control".. and I'm sure you do too...

BRAZIL IS THE ONLY COUNTRY WITH A POPULATION OF OVER 150 MILLION WITHOUT A MODERN MILITARY.. AND THAT'S INCLUDING INDONESIA WHICH SPENDS A MODEST 3% OF THEIR GDP ON THEIR MILITARY!

Lets face it, Brazil is just doing what they should have done 20 years ago.. Its about time!

Leo Bonneville

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remember, who wrote this article is from uruguay and i think some american picks the headline
written by asp, October 15, 2009

there are a lot of uruguayans who are anti american based on their dictator/comunist problems in the 70's and early 80's

brazzil dot com is run by americans if im not mistaken, so i dont blame any brazilian for the idiocy of the headline

there are just huge misconceptions and stereo types running rampant in south america

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LB
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 15, 2009

and out of that 150 mmillion have an education above 6 grade.

How many miles of paved roads does brazil have ?

Why does its politicans make 2 times as much as US politicans ?

Even if brazil gets its military they have no way to move it as the fuel money is soft money and comes up missing all the time .

Why not fix or dump all the ships and other old hardware before buying more ??

But the US to invade brazil what could be gained by this deal ????

for brazil not to trust the US well lok ar brazil history with the US .

brazil law only goes one way to brazil oly not one case in law has ever been won by a gringo in a brazilian court this includes

kidnapings , murders hiding in brazil ,brazilians muging or rapeing gringoes and being set free in brazil .brazil taking land and equipment from gringoes under false reasons and then staling in courts for decades.

Brazil not paying its dept to the world bank and other lending int lending unit and then crying to the US for help , and when the US helps brazil , brazil jst turns away and does not complete the deal

brazil demand changes in US imports laws and subsides but will not drop its own laws ???


it has been one way with brazil for decades and will remain that way

I know a bunch about control and brazil has none , in any form and any way .
more than the US but only use them when it is to there benfit to do so

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FAB
written by Leo Bonneville, October 15, 2009

Its only recently that Brazil finally had a couple of decent presidents who weren't self-centered, and were always looking for whats best for Brazil not their bank accounts in Ch.C's beloved Switzerland and look whats happening.. real progress, its not that Brazilians don't want to educate themselves, I believe most of them haven't been giving the opportunity too, you know this!

There will be a revolution in Brazil very soon, because the citizens understand the importance of progress which will only be made if all of Brazil moves forward together.. Race aside.. There will always be the proletarians, the bourgeoisie, and the people that rule you.. this is in all nations..

What is fundamental is that Brazil not only lift its citizens from poverty but also focus on educating them as a priority moving forward while also providing a support system for the business sector and raising the professionalism standards to ensure an efficient, honest, and professional working environment for all.

All the other crap, like a strong military is really for a matter of protecting national interests and looking tough.. its focused mostly for South America as a deterrent.. Brazil knows no one is going to attack them for their resources, that is ludicrous and they are definitely not interested in starting war with anyone, specially not the US, a trusted partner.

Leo Bonneville

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Leo Bonneville
written by HANS, October 15, 2009

I am sure Brazil will grow in prominence and wealth, but I do not think it will become a world power, at least not within next hundred years. After that, who knows, anything can happen. There are several other countries better poised for this distinction. What I think will happen is that it will continue to grow as a regional power with no real influence on external events. The world will be conglomerate of nations, competing for increased influence and power. A highly destabilized and volatile period in human history.

As far as the Brazilian arms industry, I never said it "led the world". What I said was that Brazil had a robust arms industry in the past. I think this is significant for Brazil because if it does intend on becoming the master of its own destiny in needs to develop its own technology, and its own weapons.

In fact, the fall of Brazilian arms manufacturing was, in my opinion, caused by an attempt to compete with other manufacturers using borrowed technology. I am talking about the Osorio MBT. This tank was developed to compete with American and European manufacturers, but utilized borrowed technology and actual foreign components of German and English tank development.

The end result: the US launched its offensive against Iraq in Desert Storm and showed the capabilities of a combat proven system, the Abrams. After this, Brazil's tank floundered because it had no buyers, not even its own government would purchase one. An extremely ambitious task that backfired in the worst way. Brazil is only now beginning to recuperate from that disaster but it will be at least another 10 to 20 years before Brazil regains the momentum it had back then.

Again, this is merely speculative on my part.

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the guy who wrote this , raul, is full of crap...look at this article
written by asp, October 15, 2009

http://www.brazzil.com/compone...mazon.html

a hack job and anti american point of veiw if there ever was one

people like this turn me off right away with their stupid anti american point of veiw from the start...

yo, brazzil mag, stop printing this sob, he is full of s**t

yeah, leo,i also love brazil and america equally....

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...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 15, 2009

Brazil emerged in the mid-1980s as the leading arms producer and exporter among the defense industrializing countries, and the sixth largest arms exporter in the world.

One way or the other Brazil showed that they are capable of establishing a military industry, the experience from the past will only ensure that Brazil doesn't make the same mistakes again, and this includes trying to compete with other manufactures in selling borrowed technology.

ITS IMPERATIVE THAT BRAZIL DEVELOPS ITS OWN TECHNOLOGY, LIKE THEIR ETHANOL TECH FOR INSTANCE, WORLD LEADER.. THOUGH, I'VE HEARD OF CASES WHERE OTHERS IMPROVE ONES TECH THEREAFTER BLOWING THE COMPETITION AWAY.(SUPPOSEDLY BRAZIL'S NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IS THE MOST ADVANCED IN THE WORLD)Based on the centrifuges they use at the Resende facility.

As far as FORREST GUMP goes.. you're really just pointing out every negative thing about Brazil, I can't quite tell where you're from because your English is suspect, so I'm thinking you're probably not American.. I'm sure I could easy point out a half million things going wrong in your perfect country. LETS FACE IT, WHO IS THE REAL IDIOT?

*even though HANS AND CH.C scrutinize Brazil, they at least have facts on the table.. What are you bringing in other than your negative comments and anti-Brazilian Propaganda?

FACE IT, YOU WILL NEVER GET A VISA TO BRAZIL.. ITS TIME YOU GET ON TO WWW.MEXXICO.COM HAHA

Leo Bonneville

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Reply to Raúl Zibechi
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 15, 2009

Raúl Zibechi: Despite noting that the Brazilian Constitution prohibits the manufacturing of nuclear weapons, the document stresses the "strategic necessity to develop and control nuclear technology." In the beginning of September, the Brazilian press revealed that Brazil could develop nuclear weapons. The same day Sarkozy arrived in Brazil, the results of a report prepared by the Military Institute of Engineering was leaked which made clear Brazil had the capacity to produce atomic weapons.(7)


*****


Ricardo: You must be aware that Brazil already has already built a number of nuclear warheads.

Today, the Brazilian government can give only hints of their actual nuclear capabilities for obvious reasons.

Please don’t broadcast on this forum the Brazilian government’s strategy regarding its nuclear warheads.


.

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Reply to Raúl Zibechi
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 15, 2009

Raúl Zibechi: It is possible, as maintained by the analysts of Dedefensa, that Washington will regard the actions of both Brazil and France as a "declaration of war."


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Ricardo: That would be the wrong conclusion.

Brazil can’t count on other countries to help Brazil defend its territory in the future.

The United States is in the process of slow economic implosion, and a internal revolution is brewing in front of our eyes, and you can see it the beginning of what is coming if you watch the latest movie of Michael Moore “Capitalism: a love story”

The fat cats in the United States went back to business as usual and they are underestimating the revolution that has already started.

“The Party is Over” here in the United States, and major economic and social changes are coming to the United States that is going to shake the entire system to its roots.

.

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Mr. Amaral..
written by Leo Bonneville, October 15, 2009

What revolution do you speak of?

In my eyes there are many revolutions going on us we speak, one being the fact that the United States has to recognize that the Hispanic community do indeed hold a big say in politics, and next presidential election will reflect that..

But I'm curious about some other thoughts you may have about this revolution..

Please do elaborate..

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the hispanic presence in the usa is a very relevant factor ...
written by asp, October 15, 2009

i was on a business trip to the states last year where i went to miami , los angeles and new mexico...

and ive been to those places before

its amazing the amount of spanish speaking people are in all aspects of life you will come into contact with , from customs, to most all the hotel personel,to the taxi drivers to the law enforcement people to the restaurant and fast food places , just about every aspect of life you can go through there, hispanic people are mostly the people you deal with in every day life on the road...in those three cities...and new york and chicago have large hispanic populations also...

ricardo, i welcome economic and social change, depending on what it is...if people can pull away from the greedy rich who ran the country into the ground...who didnt care what americans can leave their children because they think they packed their wealth away now....and society becomes more tolerant ....i would be all for that...if they dont let the dollar go into free fall

i like the medical marijuana initiatives in several states but they ought to just legalise it to get the unbeleivable tax revenue it would offer...there are real solutions to these economic problems if people can think out of the box..

f**k, i paid people here in brazil an american check several months ago when the dollar was 2.20, the check didnt clear until the dollar was back to 1.70, ive got to pay the differance and it reminded me of when i first got to brazil and it was the other way around, the brazilian money would be deprecieting and people would have to keep paying the interest....

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L B
written by Forrest Alllen Brown, October 15, 2009

Unlike you a anchor baby from illeagle aliens .

My family came to the Us from a very small country in europ a large banking country and no not swiss.

I do have brazilian residence card and CPF do you ??????

I spend my life watching the world and doing something about it unlike you living off the land of military men dide to keep you safe.

the US is no where perfect and any one here will let you know i am down on them more than i am brazil you just need to open your mind to new ways of thinking .

RA does nothing but bash the US but he never wants to move back to brazil he would have to go to work , you never want to move back to brazil as you would have to do the same .

not to say you dont work in the US you just would have to work for slave wages in brazil . right ???

as far as the latino vote in the US well RA is right there is a big revloution going to take place very soon . and it will not be a pretty thing .

the US can live with out the illeagl latino and soon will be showing it and not just the latino will loose out on it .

the next elections in 2010 will be the first call to arms the again 2012 as the working class in the Us is tirde of footong the bill for every person with a hand out .living off them .
there will not ba a president for life likes pbo wants . the health care bill will be killed if it passes , immrigration will come to a halt ,illeagles will be sent home one way or the other .

the US will go to a TIT for TAT law on every country in the world and stop with being so sensitive about other peoples fealings , if the US flag offends you go home , if the cross offends you go home , if our open life offends you go home and change your goverment not cry to chang the constution of the US change your countries to suite you

the latin vote in the US is buying votes just like lula does and chaves did , uneducated voteing for who will give them something for free , sure hand over your fredoms for votes soon the US will be like brazil and no one will want to live here , but until i see millions of illeagles going back to where they came from , the US is still better than where they came from

Me i care about the US but dont live there or pay taxes to any country any more waste of time and money .

as long as my boat holds out i can and will move about the 4.55.million cubic meterc miles of oceans bay and rivers on this planet .

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Lets face it..
written by Leo Bonneville, October 15, 2009

An interesting thought..

Brazil and Canada will soon be considered the only non-Spanish speaking countries in the Americas..Huh?

The reality of things are 1 and every 3 Americans will be of Hispanic origin by 2030.. I'm not talking about illegal immigrants either, because most of those illegals have had kids at some point and their kids had kids.. you follow?

This trend has been going on for many years now, its only a matter of time before every American has to know Spanish in order to eat at a restaurant, go shopping, make a living..

This is nothing more than my opinion, but there is a lot of reality to it...

Leo Bonneville

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SO I GUESS YOU HAD BETTER GET TO LEARNING SPANISH
written by Forrest Alllen Brown, October 15, 2009

am one up on you got it and your brazilian lanugage

But remember the revloution you talked about

how about english as the lanuage of the US

the people of the US are getting tired of all sorts of things and pbo started the ball a rolling of nationalisum in the US you call it what you want but .

under the constution the people have the right to demand open elections on matters of state , the list has beguin of laws the people want .
and congress does not want to adress .

! close the borders .
! english as the language of the US .
! no goverment medical
! Imigration laws enforced
1 ! anchor baby law dumped and those children born of illeagles are striped of citisenship

the list is a long one but you get my drift itsd the taking back of the US as it was befroe greed took over politice.

even has term limits on congress and the people get to vote on there rasies

just think next brazil with all the super power brazil has all the other countries will be going there instead of the US
say buy to your cluture and language

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Viva Brazil Defense !
written by ch.c., October 15, 2009

The only country on earth, to my knowledge, that spends 50 % of their Defense YEARLY budget for.......RETIREES PENSIONS !

And this stat doesnt come out of my imagination, but from the Official Brazilian Defense Budget available free of charge on the Net !

Hip...hip.....Copacabana !
Hip...hip.....Ipanema !
New song in your Army.

And believe it or not, they retire EARLY ! LEGALLY !

KEEP PAYING THE TAB......BRAZILIANS !

Robbing Hook, his predecessors and successors, will make sure that you the society will continue to be hooked for the tab in the next centuries.
In my humble view I would not be surprised that they will even SHORTEN THE RETIREMENT AGE AND INCREASE THE MONTHLY PENSION !
Fact being that as newer your armaments will be, less are bought in quantity. Meaning less army personnel needed but not with a lower
Defense budget !

Keep working harder and harder for the many brazilians administrations and departments......well being.
But....but....but FORGET even doubling your percentage of paved roads, actually at 5 % ! One of the lowest percentage...ON EARTH !
Lower than nearly all THIRD CLASS COUNTRIES, despite your high GDP per capita compared to other emerging nations.
Somewhat similar for education and healthcare !

Lets all make a standing ovation to Brazil, and a triple standing ovation to its TAXPAYERS taken for a ride.....as usual !
The Brazilians taxpayers like it hard in their back.
The harder it is, the more they want.
Explaining why they elect, re-elect, re-re elect their same leaders.
Be it Sarney, ACM, Maluf, Amaral dynasty members,etc etc etc.... or Iniacio !

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so LB when lulas wife becomes president
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 15, 2009

are you and RA moving back to brazil to take a job at the
big O games ????????????????????

miss lula will have her way on your country yet again to rod your people again

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Forrest
written by João da Silva, October 15, 2009

My family came to the Us from a very small country in europ a large banking country and no not swiss.

Hey Forrest, are you conducting a quiz on this blog?

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...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 16, 2009

"Unlike you a anchor baby from illeagle aliens .

My family came to the Us from a very small country in europ a large banking country and no not swiss. "

I don't know what the deal is with people that immigrated from Europe, for some reason they have this false sense of importance, like they are better than all other immigrants and most natural citizens..

Some humans are like diseases, they flock on anything that has life and absorbs all that it has..

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Reply to Leo Bonneville
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 16, 2009

Watch the Michael Moore movie and you will understand what I am talking about.

It is the revolution of 99 percent of the population against the 1 percent.

It is time to take the country back from the people who are running the US to the ground.

.

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Spit my coffee on the keyboard.....
written by Bo, October 16, 2009

Please don’t broadcast on this forum the Brazilian government’s strategy regarding its nuclear warheads.

after reading that statement!!

Brazil can't consistantly launch a rocket or satellite into orbit and now they've got nuclear warheads??

Currently have armaments from WWII but have nukes!!!

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Isn't that the way it always is??
written by Bo, October 16, 2009

In fact, the fall of Brazilian arms manufacturing was, in my opinion, caused by an attempt to compete with other manufacturers using borrowed technology. I am talking about the Osorio MBT. This tank was developed to compete with American and European manufacturers, but utilized borrowed technology and actual foreign components of German and English tank development.

Borrowed...a nicer word for "stolen". Brazil breaks medical patents using formulas developed by pharms. in which they've spent billions in R&D. Brazil tries to take credit for the invention of the flex fuel engine...when it was developed by Bosch, a German company, albeit Bosch of Brazil. Now Brazil develops tanks, using "borrowed" American and German technology/parts.

Does anyone else see a pattern here? Brazil doesn't develop their own technology because the existance of competent professionals, designers, and engineers are so extremely rare. And when you find them they've normally been educated or received their training somewhere else other than Brazil.

Call me crazy but do ya think that Brazil may want to start investing in education?

Don't ya think infrastructure (roads, sewerage), education, a decent quality of healthcare made available outside of São Paulo, may be necessary before this "subempire" status is obtained?

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Some humans are like diseases, they flock on anything that has life and absorbs all that it has..
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 16, 2009

sounds like brazilians and lationes living free in the uS does it not ?????????????????????????????

i gues it started when spain and portugal were according to them they were the center of the universe .

blame the US for slavery when it was the dutch and portugal that did all the business .

go after the US for the systomitic killing off and moveing the native tribes .

but think nothing of the spanish and portugal killing off of some 80 million asteck and mayans from slavery and deise in the new world .

in all the wars the US has been involved in it has not come close to what the latin race has done to the planet on killing and slavery to the planet .

Yes my GGG came over from Liechtenstein to the US before the civil war he was a bell make and switched to making cannons, in ww 1 still made gun barrels and shiped mules ovre to europ , in ww2 members of my family went to europ and the pacific , in the to small wars my dad served and i served , the next 2 my son is still serving .
so dount even think we take with out even giving back to the US .

take it this way when ever you have your trash picked up that big ugly noise truck system was invented and panted by my grand father Thomas Littlejohn Ritch

my family never takes without paying unlike you and yours
Leo Bonneville

BO yes that is a some what of a oh sh:t moment how do you think they will ever use it . pack it in chicken meat and ship it to some one

and all this military spending how much for training and maientence

and now the US congress taking 2 billion from defence spending to use to build and repair mesuems and repair the kenndy libaury .

yes the war is comming to the US and the free loaders will not like it back to the if you dont work you dont eat .

and sence when does your loose life style of drugs and drink and having a litter of kids become a reason for us to support you !!!!!!!!!!

i may come back for that .
hay joao no poll here
to many earth quakes and sunimys most west of me but still get the waves so anchor in deeper water and give more chain out .
will be moving out first of next month i guess may go north to see north keroa fire more missles and see if pbo lets the jets fly out of japan to retest there lazer systems , you know he grounded them just after he was electid and even pulled one out of israil .
way to go pbo

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DEAR: DUMB DUMBS
written by Leo Bonneville, October 16, 2009

Geez Forrest, it sounds like you wish a Tsunami would flood the world so you can keep enjoying stiffing all governments of the only thing that makes them prosper. TAXES! Remind me: HOW IS THAT HELPING THE WORLD AGAIN?

ALSO, Any arguments involving the Spanish is irrelevant to any Brazilian!

Brazilians can't be worried about what the Spanish are doing, did, because they are not part of our society, life style, culture or history.

One can only imagine the exaggeration FORREST is making if he is including Brazil and Portugal in that context, sure the Portuguese did some damage but which EUROPEAN EXPLORERS did not?

I'm not surprised about the embellishment since almost every opinion, statement or fact in this forum is an extreme exaggeration.

Another misconception is that if you're from Latin American, you're probably came to the US illegally or stayed illegally as we have no other way of inquiring residency. Right FORREST?

Lets be honest, there are 1000s and 1000s of Hispanics(not Brazilians) in the United States military, a lot more than Europeans, today! So the US has to be very careful how they go about expelling the Hispanics out of the country.

So why do these Hispanics join the American Armed Forces? for starters they are made to feel that if they don't join the military, they'll never gain citizenship, thus having to move back to their countries and probably amount to nothing. They say there are so many benefits in joining the armed forces, and to some extent, its true.. for someone who is not disciplined, ambitious, and has no goals.

Oh yeah.. you can travel the world, free school, health insurance..haha

Fortunately, Brazil has never really needed a strong military, until now, because now they finally understand the importance of protecting your sovereignty and interests, plus the US is uneasy about their global relevance. No one knows what tomorrow holds...(THIS BY NO MEANS IS AN IMPLICATION THAT THE USA PLANS OR WANTS TO INVADE BRAZIL).

Countries should use Brazil's example as a peaceful nation, looking for nothing more than prosperity and progression for its citizens, while respecting every nations right to exist.

Leo Bonneville

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Reply to Bo
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 16, 2009

Bo: after reading that statement!!

Brazil can't consistently launch a rocket or satellite into orbit and now they've got nuclear warheads??

Currently have armaments from WWII but have nukes!!!


******


Ricardo: Keep laughing my friend.

You still are laughing because you have not grasped on a lot of things that has been going on for a while.

Even President Lula and his VP gave hints on the last 4 weeks that Brazil already has nuclear warheads – but for obvious reasons it can’t be made public.

Let me spell out for you because you don’t have a clue about what I am talking about – under the current Brazilian Constitution Brazil is not supposed to build nuclear warheads.

Maybe now you will be able to connect the dots.

.

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BO.. BOOOOO...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 16, 2009

HAHAHAHA..

Its funny how some ignorant people still think that Brazil is living the stone age, like some of the countries in the Middle East!

They strongly believe that we're this much_____________________less intelligent than every other citizen from North America, Europe, and Sh;t even Asia.

Awake up and smell the CHURRASCO.. YUP.. ITS US, BRAZZZZIL...HAHA!

We're here..

Adeus..

Leo Bonneville

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Reply to Leo Bonneville
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 16, 2009

Leo Bonneville: An interesting thought..

Brazil and Canada will soon be considered the only non-Spanish speaking countries in the Americas..Huh?


******


Ricardo: On October 21 and 22, 2009 CNN News will have a 2-part special program about how the Spanish population is taking over the United States and it will become a majority in the near future.

The United States is exporting the human capital with PhD’s (the hundred of thousands of Indians who are going back to India with their high tech know how and education of the highest level) and the United States is importing the uneducated peasants from many Spanish countries from Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and so on…And these mostly illiterate people come to the United States to work as maids, car wash help, restaurant help, construction, and landscaping. In no time the US will turn itself into a 3rd world country since a large number of these people also includes bandits, even more criminal gangs and so on…


*******


Note: When I talk about the Spanish population of South America I am not talking about the population of Argentina and Uruguay since the population of these countries are made up of well educated and a higher quality of human capital.

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i see hispanic people at all levals in society, the highest as well as medium and low
written by asp, October 16, 2009

ricardo, im not saying you are presenting false facts, there is some truth to gangs coming from some central and south american countries...

but i see a lot of high leval hispanic people at all levals of society

and huge amounts who are legaly here

miami would be boring and lifeless with out the hispanic population, especialy what the cubans bring there

i love to go to miami to get to breathe the cuban music and hope to see the mambo done somewhere....like the mango club ( dont laugh hans pinto , you are from miami, i know its a tourist joint, but, its the only place on south beach you can just stop for drink in the afternoon and see some mambo)

man that is what makes miami exiting now...(im not a big fan of mexican music , though)

there are some squares on here

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and.....ricardo
written by asp, October 16, 2009

man, argentina has all the bad s**t any south american country or central american country has anywhere , havent you heard of that "paco" s**t?

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...
written by João da Silva, October 16, 2009

Dear Expat Brasilians overseas, including the ones in the U.S. of A.

I have been going through all the comments written by several distinguished fellow bloggers both Brasilians and Gringos complaining as well as chanting the glories of their respective countries of birth. I kept silent without making any comments, since I really don't give a s**t about Simon Bolivar, Sarko,Berlusconi, Chavez, etc;

My question: What are you all doing to reduce (I know it is impossible to eliminate it altogether) the corruption practices in this country, restore dignity of the middle-class, promote small entrepreneurs and get our country back into the right track?

BTW, we don't need to kiss the asses of Sarko and buy his bloody RAFALE fighters. Nor do we have to learn from him what "Nepotism" is. After all, he holds a doctoral degree in this issue. Dont you guys know that he appointed his son Jean Sarko for an important post to "promote French Businesses" ( our Komrade ch.c will be able to explain better about this Neo-Naplolião" ). To trust Sarko and declare war on the "sinking empire" of U.S. is a folly, my lads. You better believe in my words. Never ever ask "Why didn't we listen to João da Silva?", 5 years from now.

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Huh?
written by Bo, October 17, 2009

Countries should use Brazil's example as a peaceful nation

Brazil is a peaceful nation with everyone except themselves!!! 5th most dangerous country on the planet to live with a murder rate of 23 /100K!!!

How does one call that "peaceful"?

And to Ricardo....quite a while ago I used to take your posts semi-seriously....for any human to state that Brazil has nuclear warheads and the world doesn't know about it....well, for the love of god, the U.S. has MORE than 2000 agents of homeland security, including CIA, in Brazil....at the invitation of the Brazilian gov't. in the tri-border region!!!

Laughable at best...but truly proves that you are seriously "out there".

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Bo
written by João da Silva, October 17, 2009

well, for the love of god, the U.S. has MORE than 2000 agents of homeland security, including CIA, in Brazil....at the invitation of the Brazilian gov't. in the tri-border region!!!

Hey Bo. At least we don't have to remove our shoes while passing through the Airport security, thus emitting "Chulé", like your beloved "Homeland Security" does in your own country. Honestly speaking, we don't need Tom Ridge to give us "consultation" as how to "secure our homes" nor Ben Serf to send us e-mail messages extolling the virtues of the lady presidential candidate in order to capture our votes.

If one day, our "Homeland Security" wants my shoes to be removed while passing through the security, I intend throwing my old and dirty shoes at the "headman" of that newly created entity. Just like the Iraqi reporter did to your Ex-President. Comprehendes?

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LB so brazil is not of portuges desent ??????????
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 17, 2009

brazilians have never had slaves , never used the natives to harvest rubber till they died .
make the largest population of people in brazil a second class race.
let men kill there wive and girl friends at will and do very little abou it . have a state where the congress of the state says it is okay to have sex with minors as long as it is not to much

brazil lets a non blod realation keep a boy from his blod father .and another 70 from ever being able to travel to see the father .

and by the way brazilians are the second largest population of iilleagles in the US

your brazilian government makes deal with other countries and then complains about the way it is carried out and then quits .

and now you celabrate about having a seat on the UN but lula will only spout what chaves and castro wants till his wife becomes the next press

why not get brazil to offer to build a new UN in brazil so you can put up with all the thiefs and crooks that come to the UN to work but break laws and claim emunity , O THATS RIGHT ONLY BRAZLIANS CAN CLAIM THAT

you keep living in your fuller than yourself and dont listen to JOAO and a couple other brazilians on this site

beleive you have nukes if it makes you sleep better at night .
we dont care .

by the way lations in the US do far more than pick up trash and do dirt work . they own compines , oprate heavy equipment , thoes that work make over $10 an hour , its the scum like you and the other wanting to live for free the US is having a problum with

I have no need for the medical insurance in the US as i am never there
i have no property of mail in the US just a lady that has worked for me over 20 years and my server for the internet .

I did how ever use to pay a minium of $2.500 a month and as much as $ 7.500 but never again will i pay any goverment to spend my money for me

you can do see how good you feel when you do without and some one that sleeps till 4 pm and party all night long and demand a life style you dont even have and your goverment gives it to them .

right now less than 50% of the population works to support the rest .

this is going to change very soon .

as far as the US black mailing lations to join the ,military for citizenship not so they have to file and prove they can speak english , and pass a citisenship class while they are in service and then it is still not automitic

by the way what have you done to help the world ?????????????

i have helped my goverment enough and many others now is my time to
keep the wind in my face and the sun at my back

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Give me a break...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 17, 2009

by the way lations in the US do far more than pick up trash and do dirt work . they own compines , oprate heavy equipment , thoes that work make over $10 an hour , its the scum like you and the other wanting to live for free the US is having a problum with

Yeah sure.. making over $10hr, must be a really good job, man how I wish I could depreciate my income and go back to earning $10 a hr.

Lets face Forrest, you got nothing more than some tic tac comebacks, half of your statements are ridiculous and your attacks on me are childish at best, with no direct hits, you may insult some of my fellow citizens of Brazil.. Which really, doesn't effect me...

SCUM: A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of liquids..

This sounds a lot like you riding around in your boat in the middle of the ocean, doesn't it?

I'm sure if I checked the sex offenders database your name pops up.. Yeah, I'd move to my boat too.. haha

In regards to this crazy party life-style you think I live.. Yeah, I'm 24.. Of course I party.. and with the best of them, trust me.. But I also know how to take care of business and handle my priorities and the truth is, that is all that matters.. hands down.. I know how many lives I have Mr. Gump..

And I don't sit around waiting for it to pass me by.

BO:

Brazil is a peaceful nation with everyone except themselves!!! 5th most dangerous country on the planet to live with a murder rate of 23/100K!!!

You are an idiot.. Go get some real facts and quit with the fairy tales you get from movies such as "city of men".

Leo Bonneville

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Reply to Bo
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 17, 2009

Bo: Borrowed...a nicer word for "stolen". Brazil breaks medical patents using formulas developed by pharms. in which they've spent billions in R&D. Brazil tries to take credit for the invention of the flex fuel engine...when it was developed by Bosch, a German company, albeit Bosch of Brazil. Now Brazil develops tanks, using "borrowed" American and German technology/parts.


*****


Ricardo: Just to see if I understand what you are saying. Do you mean stolen as in:
Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun the father of the US space program.

In his 20s and early 30s, von Braun was the central figure in Germany's pre-war rocket development program, responsible for the design and realization of the deadly V-2 combat rocket during World War II. After the war, he and some of his rocket team were taken to the United States as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip.

Operation Paperclip was the code name for the 1945 Office of Strategic Services, Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency, recruitment of German scientists from Nazi Germany to the U.S. after VE Day.

President Truman authorized Operation Paperclip in August 1945; however he expressly ordered that anyone found "to have been a member of the Nazi party and more than a nominal participant in its activities, or an active supporter of Nazism militarism" would be excluded.

Under this criterion many of the scientists recruited, such as Wernher von Braun, Arthur Rudolph, and Hubertus Strughold, who were all officially on record as Nazis and listed as a "menace to the security of the Allied Forces," would have been ineligible. All were cleared to work in the U.S. after having their backgrounds "bleached" by the military; false employment histories were provided, and previous Nazi affiliations were expunged from the record. The paperclips that secured newly-minted background details to their personnel files gave the operation its name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernher_von_Braun

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip

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Reply to Joao da Silva
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 17, 2009

Joao da Silva: Don’t you guys know that he appointed his son Jean Sarko for an important post to "promote French Businesses"


*****


Ricardo: Yes, I know it.

By the way, his son is only 23 years old and already has an influential position.


*****


Joao da Silva: To trust Sarko and declare war on the "sinking empire" of U.S. is a folly, my lads. You better believe in my words. Never ever ask "Why didn't we listen to João da Silva?", 5 years from now.


*****


Ricardo: The new business with France it is more than just buying RAFALE fighters.

You are smart enough to connect the dots.

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Reply to Bo
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 17, 2009

Bo: And to Ricardo....quite a while ago I used to take your posts semi-seriously....for any human to state that Brazil has nuclear warheads and the world doesn't know about it....well, for the love of god, the U.S. has MORE than 2000 agents of homeland security, including CIA, in Brazil....at the invitation of the Brazilian gov't. in the tri-border region!!!


*****


Ricardo: You said: "the U.S. has MORE than 2000 agents of homeland security, including CIA, in Brazil..."

And so what?

The United States had many spies with the U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix and all these spies were allowed to tag along with Mr. Blix and they did not find any of the WMD that they were looking for in Iraq.


Iraq:

Total area: 438,317 sq km


The members of the United Nations decided it was time for the UN to become just a rubber stamp organization. On November 8, 2002, the Security Council voted 15-0 for the American resolution against Iraq. This resolution boils down to stripping the country Iraq of its sovereignty.

If that UN resolution was against the US, I can't imagine the American people allowing such an inspection to take place in the US, with complete disregard for a country's basic sovereignty rights. Can you imagine the UN inspectors being allowed to go anywhere in the US, or Russia, or France, or England, or China, and take notes and pictures of anything that they desired? They used to have a word to describe that kind of activity, and there were people trained to do that kind of work—espionage.

Another fact that is remarkable is that the US and the British were able to get all kind of spying information from Iraq in the last 4 months before this war began.

The United Nations inspectors were allowed to go to any location in Iraq and report their findings back to the UN—including the United States. I am sure that the US and the British have made maximum use of that opportunity to gather intelligence about all kind of locations in Iraq during that time. It is absolutely remarkable that Iraq is able to put up such a fight against its foreign aggressors when their aggressors have all kinds of advantage over them including their military arsenal, technology, and intelligence capabilities.


*****


Iran:

Total area: 1,648,195 sq km


Is in the process of building their nuclear weapons right now, and the United States does not have a clue where the Iranians are doing it.


*****


Pakistan:

Total area: 796,095 sq km


In the last 8 years Osama Bin Ladden and his Al Qaeda group have been living in Pakistan. And after 8 years the US intelligence still can’t figure out where Osama Bin Ladden is staying all these years.


******


Brazil:

Total area: 8,514,877 sq km


All I can say to you Bo is that US intelligence does not have a good track record to figure things out.

It drove me nuts that it took years for the US intelligence to figure out that Osama Bin Ladden was a Sunni and not a Shiite, and that Al Qaeda is a Sunni organization.

Do you think the US intelligence is capable of finding where the 8 to 10 nuclear warheads are stored in a country of the size of Brazil?

On the other hand, did you take in consideration that the US government is aware that Brazil is armed with nuclear weapons (just like Israel) but the US government is not worried about it because Brazil is not a threat to the United States?

About 3 weeks ago over the same weekend President Lula, and his VP Alencar almost announced in black and white that Brazil has nuclear weapons.

Sorry to disappoint you, but if US intelligence was as good as you think then Osama Bin Ladden would had been caught by now after all Osama Bin Ladden is a giant and he is as tall as a NBA player.

A Reminder: Today we should also add "Cuba" to this list. On November 22, 2002, I was watching a television program on PBS called "Now with Bill Moyers," Mr. Moyers was interviewing a historian, James Blight (he is considered today to be one of the foremost experts on this subject) - he wrote a book about the 1962 Cuban Nuclear Missile Crisis. It was an enlightening interview. The professor was saying that only recently, (in the last ten years) the U. S. learned a lot of new information about the Cuban missile crisis that the United States did not know at the time.

He said that the U. S. intelligence thought that Fidel Castro had no nuclear warheads on his island in 1962. Since 1992 the U. S. learned that, in fact, the Soviets had already placed 162 nuclear weapons in Cuba. Fidel Castro had been cleared and had all the authorization necessary from the Soviets to use the weapons.

Since 1962 Cuba have been storing on that island 162 nuclear warheads and the US can’t do anything about it.

All I can say is that US intelligence is nothing to write home about.

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Reply to Joao da Silva
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 17, 2009

"Homeland Security" color coded the level of threat of a terrorist attack inside the United States.

They used to show on TV the collors all the time - Red, Orange, Green, black Pink and so on...

But that system has been a real problem for people who are color blind.

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...
written by Bo, October 17, 2009

BO:

Brazil is a peaceful nation with everyone except themselves!!! 5th most dangerous country on the planet to live with a murder rate of 23/100K!!!

You are an idiot.. Go get some real facts and quit with the fairy tales you get from movies such as "city of men".

Leo Bonneville

You're right Leo....those are NOT the REAL facts, I've been in Brazil on a daily basis for 10 years, believe me, I know the facts, the reality, and the statistics. And the latest Brazilian murder rates were compiled by the Brazilian gov't. itself. Although it's readily admitted by people such as the Minister of Brazils own Health Ministry that those posted numbers are most probaby at least 15% on the LOW SIDE as a minimally estimated 3,000 or so murders go undiscovered in Brazil per year, most in regions such as the Amazon and other parts of Brazil which are basically LAWLESS.

After the war, he and some of his rocket team were taken to the United States as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip.

Operation Paperclip was the code name for the 1945 Office of Strategic Services, Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency, recruitment of German scientists from Nazi Germany to the U.S. after VE Day.

It's one thing when scientists are recruited and decide to go to a new place to evolve, learn, and be in an environment where they can be intellectually stimulated, it's quite another when a country simply uses formulas and patented inventions with no regard for international law and treaties as if they were their own intellectual property.

If it were so easy to recruit these types of intellectuals, don't ya think that the Brazilian gov't. would have done this long ago? But they're quite aware of how intelectually stimulated they would be in an environment like PUC where Calcinha Preta is playing in the praça next door with their dançarinhas.... Brazil hasn't quite made it to the level of be considered a place of "intellectual stimulation".

If one day, our "Homeland Security" wants my shoes to be removed while passing through the security, I intend throwing my old and dirty shoes at the "headman" of that newly created entity.

You're opinion may change on that one after Hezbollah in Foz de Iguaçu gets their hands on one of these "nuclear warheads" that brazil is in possession of and leaves it in a dumpster on Avenida Paulista.

Homeland security would have never been invited by the Brazilian gov't. if there wasn't a need. Unfortunately the "cop on the street" in Brazil can't be trusted. And Brazilian officials are completely aware of that fact. So, once again, when in trouble and don't know what to do, call on your "buddies", the Americans.

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Forrest
written by João da Silva, October 17, 2009

and now you celabrate about having a seat on the UN but lula will only spout what chaves and castro wants till his wife becomes the next press

Hey Forrest, BUT....BUT.... HE is not sponsoring his wife to become the next Prez. Unless you know something different about his current marital status and are unwilling to share with us.

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Reply to Bo
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 17, 2009

Bo: Brazil hasn't quite made it to the level of be considered a place of "intellectual stimulation".


*****


Ricardo: Bo, you should call Google and explain to them your point of view because they are not aware of what you are talking about - that Brazil is not a place for "intellectual stimulation".

Google one of the internet leading edge companies placed one of their R&D centers in Minas Gerais - and they could have placed it anywhere around the world including the United States.

Maybe you are not aware yourself that Brazil has the largest number of software experts in Java and Linux than any other country in the world.

Bo - you are underestimating by a mile the high quality and capabilities of certain human capital groups in Brazil.


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LB you pulled out the typical Brazilian remark when you cant think of any thing right
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 17, 2009

I am A pedophile or you are a pedophile
next
you are a racist .
next
you are xenophobic

If you knew a thing about Brazilian Feds when giving out a residence card they look into that very hard as Brazil has enough of them
home grown .

A racist you say no have to many friends of color from all over the world .

Xenophobic no i feel people should be able to go and live where they want .under certain conditions

1 do it the legal way .
2 when you decide to live in another country and are accepted than learn and live the laws of the land
don't try to force your opinion from your country on them , learn the language .

3 if not go home to where you came .don't try to force your culture on them as you would not want them to do it in your country .

i don't use all the facts with numbers that Ch.C does as if you want to learn find it yourself .

in other words don't buy technology and reverse engineer it .
much like Brazil does to drug companies from all over the world then sells them and keeps the money and even exports them to other countries under there name .
the copy of DVD and CD and sell them along with computer programs taken for free

No i am the worst of society a middle aged white man , we are to blame for all the bad things that ever happens to any Bodie any where from knocking up that Jewish chick 2000 years ago to killing Babbie's all over the world .
inventing slavery ,inventing nukes and using them ,

yes we are the worst of all according to all but not one country has not opened its hand out for our help and what do we ask nothing . and if we did we paid for with blood of our military or money .

even you setting fat dumb and happy living in the very country with the people you hate living off the back of people that have died to protect that way of life you dislike so much .

you and people like you are SCUM want take and bitch about what you get for free and want more .

that is why i left as the very government of the US has turned its back on those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom to give it so freely to something like you .

so take your stolen lap top and complain to and about your own country or leave mine as you hate it .

SIR JOAO
something is a foot in the state of PE will know more in a bit

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HATE AMERICA?
written by Leo Bonneville, October 17, 2009

Who are u kidding? I love the US..

Don't confuse my Brazilian patriotism with hate for the United States.

I've always said this is a great country, I'm pretty happy here and very thankful for everything I've learned and America has given me the principals which I live by.. Just because you hear me praise Brazil you automatically assume I hate America? That's absurd...

Keep living your wild life as a pirate.. In a way.. I wish I could join you, seriously.. FORTUNATELY FOR ME I got something called a LIFE!

Leo Bonneville

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BTW
written by Leo Bonneville, October 17, 2009

even you setting fat dumb and happy living in the very country with the people you hate living off the back of people that have died to protect that way of life you dislike so much .

you and people like you are SCUM want take and bitch about what you get for free and want more .

Everything I, my family has, we've earned it.. thru hard work..

DON'T BE SO FU**ING STUPID.. Do you honestly believe I'm some uneducated, free loader? asking the government for a handout?

HAHA LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE MORE OFTEN WRONG THAN RIGHT..NOT SURPRISING! Since most American's love jumping to conclusions...

Leo Bonneville

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Forrest
written by João da Silva, October 17, 2009

SIR JOAO
something is a foot in the state of PE will know more in a bit

Anything is possible from now and October 2010, Forrest.Strange things are going to happen and the prophecy of Nostradamus may turn out to be true.

BTW, if Ben Serf starts sending me e-mail, extolling the virtues of the candidate who hired him, I intend reporting them as spam mail! I had enough of lies, false promises and persecution of honest law abiding middle class folks. I was really upset to know that the "Candidate" has to bring this guy all the way from the U.S. of A as the campaign manager. Then your PBO is also coming to act as a "cabo eleitoral" visiting us early next year!!! As Big A likes to say, "The plot is thickening"

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You My Sir, Are an Idiot!
written by Bo, October 18, 2009

written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 17, 2009

Bo: Brazil hasn't quite made it to the level of be considered a place of "intellectual stimulation".


*****


Ricardo: Bo, you should call Google and explain to them your point of view because they are not aware of what you are talking about - that Brazil is not a place for "intellectual stimulation".

Google one of the internet leading edge companies placed one of their R&D centers in Minas Gerais - and they could have placed it anywhere around the world including the United States.

Maybe you are not aware yourself that Brazil has the largest number of software experts in Java and Linux than any other country in the world.

Bo - you are underestimating by a mile the high quality and capabilities of certain human capital groups in Brazil.

Google is an AMERICAN company!! The ONLY thing brazil has as far as internet technology is the MOST HACKERS!!!

If there is any one or any thing where someone can rob, steal, cheat, or committ thievery, then, unfortunately, Brazil is at the TOP OF THE LIST!

Murder rate?
Slave Labor?
Prostitution?
Underage Prostitition?
Hackers?
Corruption(stealing of public monies)?
Impunity?



When the Jews in New York saw the rate of returns the Brazilian banks were making their jaws hit the floor. They hired consulting firms to evaluate the situation. They told them that they had no "judical security."

That statement alone, was enough for them.

In other words, when someone f**ks ya, there's no recourse, except to pay someone a couple hundred bucks to kill them and their family.

Sound familiar?


They're not stupid....not by a longshot.




And neither am I.......today.



After a decade in Brazil.





This place is an anal orgy just waiting to happen for any gringo that even thinks about investing in this xenophobic, corrupt, falta de respeito pais.

And please, for the one or two educated Brazilians that read this, allow me to apologize. Just hope and pray you can understand after reading the uneducated horses**t like some of the above posts.

I like Brazil......the problem is the brazilians.


Ever hear the joke about God and Peter?

After God created the world Peter looked down and said, "God, why did you give this one area, "Brazil", all of these riches in natural resources?"

And God replied, "Wait until you see the people I'm going to put there".

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Bo
written by João da Silva, October 18, 2009

When the Jews in New York saw the rate of returns the Brazilian banks were making their jaws hit the floor. They hired consulting firms to evaluate the situation. They told them that they had no "judical security."

That statement alone, was enough for them.

BUT...BUT..BUT, I really don't understand you, my dear fellow. One day you scold the Jews and another day you scold Hezbollah,Hamas,PLO,Sunnis,Shiites,Ariel Sharon, etc;

IMHO (which doesn't count, I hasten to add) you are trying to become the "Headman" of Igreja Universal in SE. Please clarify your stance.

BTW, I still think that your "Homeless Security agency was created by GWB to give jobs to his cronies at the expense of American Tax payers, just like our "Headman" created (and still is creating) ministries at the cost of Brasilian tax payers. Unfortunately we the hard working and honest Brasilians have to sustain the "Vadios", just like our American counterparts.

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LB
written by Forrest Allen Brown, October 18, 2009

in your wildest dreams you would never be able to lead the life i have had or have now .

I dont jump to conclusions... i form them you are the one whom has the life of a 24 year old trying to say he has lived and knows more than a person like me

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...
written by Bo, October 18, 2009

BUT...BUT..BUT, I really don't understand you, my dear fellow. One day you scold the Jews and another day you scold Hezbollah,Hamas,PLO,Sunnis,Shiites,Ariel Sharon, etc;

How could you, or anyone, perceive the statement I made as "scolding" the Jews? Please, read it again.

When the Jews in New York saw the rate of returns the Brazilian banks were making their jaws hit the floor. They hired consulting firms to evaluate the situation. They told them that they had no "judical security."

That statement alone, was enough for them.

I'll have to disagree with you concerning the creation of Homeland Security. 9/11 was able to occur partially because of the lack of communication amongst the different intelligence communities. Homeland Security has gone a long way in the last 9 years to rememdy that. Just ask some of your fellow Brazilians that have been picked up by ICE over the last 7-8 years and exactly how that occurred. You'll find that today the sharing of information between the communities is seamless.

And João, thanks for the laugh concerning Igreja Universal....just another group of vagabundos, but the worst kind, taking peoples money in the name of God....they'll have to answer for that, I'm glad I'm not in their position.


And Ricardo, once again, you show your ignorance in your posts. Do you really think that Google doesn't have research centers in the U.S.? For the love of God, the one they have at the Google SpacePlex in Silicon Valley’s NASA Ames Research Center makes the one in Minas Gerais look like a late night sandwich stand.......Google has R&D centers all over the world. Being proud of having one of them in your country is paramount to being proud because your country has a McDonald's.

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ah man i got to come in now.....
written by asp, October 18, 2009

i dont mind ch cs statistics or forrest and bo's personal life experiance stories...

but any referances like the problem is the brazilian people has to be addressed

i choose to live in brazil exactly because of the brazilian people...not the corrupt greedy leaders and power seekers that there are an abundance in the whole world and from all our perspective countries

the american constitution talks of the "the pursuit of happiness.." and incredible concept that i dearly beleive in, and i am never more in the pursuit of happiness than when im around brazilian people..

when i am around the incredible music, the beats and the dances, espcialy sambao with the bateria and passistas.,making the hair stand up on the back of my neck...porra cara ..nao tem melhor coisa ....that is the brazilian people

when i am at the beach admiring some of the most sensual women in the world ,displaying inner cheek symetry like no where else, that is the brazilian people...

just going out to eat the incredible foods of this country, the mucecas, the carne de sol, the black beans and rice fejoiada, that is the food of the brazilian people...

when i go out on out of the country business trips , sometimes to 2 continents, when i even just arrive at the gate of the flights back to brazil, the beautiful portuguese ,brazilian style, starts to float over the air like a sweet perfume with its lilting rhythm and soft cadences, and the crowd starts to get that incredible racial mix that especialy plays out in the womans features ( at least im a man so i relate to the women more)....f**k it, hell year, im here because i like to be around the brazilian people....and my rectum is getting as stretched as any of you by the corruption and struggle to get by ....

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...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 18, 2009

And Ricardo, once again, you show your ignorance in your posts. Do you really think that Google doesn't have research centers in the U.S.? For the love of God, the one they have at the Google SpacePlex in Silicon Valley’s NASA Ames Research Center makes the one in Minas Gerais look like a late night sandwich stand.......Google has R&D centers all over the world. Being proud of having one of them in your country is paramount to being proud because your country has a McDonald's.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with BOOO, BUT.. BUT.. To say that...

Bo: Brazil hasn't quite made it to the level of be considered a place of "intellectual stimulation".

Just shows how "IGNORANT YOU ARE", the average American is just as dumb as the average Brazilian if not dumber, there are plenty of Intellectually stimulating activities going on in Brazil, trust me..

BUT you can keep thinking what you wish, as we live in a world where you have that right, just don't come around here trying to sell it us, we don't buy it.

AND FORREST: for god sakes, quit getting so emotional, I'm just doing to you what you've been doing to Brazil for the past 20 years...

Leo Bonneville

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ASP..I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 18, 2009

These people for some reason think that Brazilians in general are the reason Brazil is still undeveloped, not the bureaucratic system.

Yeah, no corruption anywhere else in the world...

Leo Bonneville

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Bo
written by João da Silva, October 18, 2009

Just ask some of your fellow Brazilians that have been picked up by ICE over the last 7-8 years and exactly how that occurred.

I don't know any fellow Brasilian of mine that has been picked up by ICE nor any American friends arrested by our PF.

And João, thanks for the laugh concerning Igreja Universal.

The comment was made to pull your leg and cheer you up! Thank you for expressing my opinion on them more eloquently.Cant stand them either.

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Reply to Bo
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 18, 2009

Ricardo: Bo the company Google bought a Brazilian company in 2005 and turned it into their R & D for the Latin American market.

Brazil has the largest number of Linux and Java software engineers in the world - and the Brazilian software engineers are as good as the best American software engineers.


*****

Google's Research and Development Centre in Belo Horizonte, Brazil is one of our latest full-fledged engineering facilities outside the United States. We're looking to hire talented software engineers, top programmers and visionary computer scientists.

The Google Belo Horizonte R&D Centre is a full peer of our other engineering facilities in California, New York, Washington, India, London, Zurich and Tokyo. This office also possesses Google's unique attributes:

·Charter to invent:

Google Belo Horizonte's charter is to innovate, implement, and launch new Google technologies and products to a global audience.

·Focus on computer science:

Our work here touches many fundamental areas of computer science, including information retrieval, distributed systems, machine learning, data mining, theoretical computer science, statistics and user interfaces.

·Freedom to move:

Google Engineering is like one virtual campus extending around the world. Engineers in Belo Horizonte often partner with other Google R&D Centres worldwide.

·Technical ladder:

In addition to management tracks for career advancement, Google engineers can also rise to the level of a vice president based on technical accomplishments.

Opportunities in Google Belo Horizonte

As a Googler Engineer or Product Manager you can expect to work on challenging problems in the areas of distributed systems, information retrieval, web ranking, algorithms, user interfaces, and data mining. Google engineers are expected to demonstrate great ability and initiative to tackle novel research, from the conception of new solutions to their implementation, testing, validation, and eventually the launching of a new product.

http://www.google.com.br/intl/pt-BR/jobs/belo.html


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Correction
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 18, 2009

Ricardo:

Bo the company Google bought a Brazilian company in 2005 and turned it into their R & D Center for the Latin American market.

.

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Reply to Bo
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 18, 2009

Bo: Google is an AMERICAN company!!

The ONLY thing brazil has as far as internet technology is the MOST HACKERS!!!


*****


Ricardo: I know that Google is an American company.

I said that Google chose Belo Horizonte in Brazil to place one of its R&D centers to be able to tap into the pool of Brazilian software engineers.

If you think that “The ONLY thing brazil has as far as internet technology is the MOST HACKERS!!!” – then you don’t know what you are talking about.

You are a very confused person when the subject of the current discussion is about Google and Brazilian software engineers and for some reason you think the discussion should also include the following:

Murder rate?
Slave Labor?
Prostitution?
Underage Prostitition?
Corruption (stealing of public monies)?
Impunity?

Then you move the conversation to the Jews in New York….

The title of your posting: “You My Sir, Are an Idiot!”

If there’s an idiot between you and I – your posting speak volumes.

I close my case.


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Software Engineers
written by e harmony, October 18, 2009

Anyone - from any nation - that is an engineer is a smart cookie.

Computer engineers have to have a solid grasp of advanced mathematics. These are not stupid people, and mathematics being closely related to logic, requires solid rationalizing skills. It takes a lot less "intellectualizing" per se... to be a movie director, an English major, or to obtain a law degree.

I'm not saying the rest of those people can't be intellectuals, but I am suggesting they are less dependent on the rational processes found in the sciences such as microbiology and mathematics.

I wish I had the natural abilities needed in math that helps produce engineers.

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Ricardo misunderestimating the CIA
written by Brazuca, October 19, 2009

Ricardo, I think you underestimate the CIA. After all, isn't Al Qaida the CIA's Arab Legion? Heck, Al Qaida ought to be really called Al CIAda! LOL

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Instead of just spouting crap...
written by Bo, October 19, 2009

why don't you back up your posts with real numbers/stats, etc.?

Brazil has the largest number of Linux and Java software engineers in the world - and the Brazilian software engineers are as good as the best American software engineers.

The searches and research that I have done show nothing to support what you've stated whatsoever.

Ricardo, your debating the statement that I made saying that brazil is not considered a country of "intellectual stimulation", and it simply isn't. Unfortunately, Brazil's investment in education is dismal, even for developing countries, not to mention when one compares to first world countries. Within the last two years the Brazilian gov't. itself performed a study regarding brazil's educational level compared with 30 some odd DEVELOPING countries and came in 2nd to last! If I'm not mistaken the only country worse was HAITI!

Your trying to justify your stance because Google opened a R&D center in Minas? Like I said, they have them all over the world. And it's safe to say that the state of California has more software engineers than Brazil in it's entirety.

But then again, from most of your previous articles and posts it's apparent to all that you're "out there". For anyone to support an ex-president who heads the senate and has proven to have presided over hundreds of secret acts being passed when he stated that he "didn't know what a secret act was" and which dozens were passed to specifically benefit his own family......well, that shows all of us exactly the level of morality in which you've been taught to defend.

You my friend don't give a rats ass about the brazilian "people". You defend the "status quo", so you and your cronies can continue to rape this country and its peoples for as long as you can. All the while you sit on your keyboard in.....New York City!

Just shows how "IGNORANT YOU ARE", the average American is just as dumb as the average Brazilian if not dumber, there are plenty of Intellectually stimulating activities going on in Brazil, trust me..

Leo, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of ignorant people in the U.S., but please, don't compare it to Brazil. I've been all over this country and have lived in the northeast for 10 years, the first time that I truly realized that we human beings were just animals was shortly after I came to the northeast and saw the stare in the eyes of one very unfortunate Sergipana. And if you travel the north/northeast of this country you will see that this is not so rare. Unfortunately for many Brazilians the reality that they encounter on a daily basis is one which simply does not exist in North America. I'm fully aware that there are intellecutal activities that occur frequently in this country, but don't state that fact as if it were the rule. One said fact of reality is, shortly before I travelled to the U.S. a month and a half ago I took a short trip to Buenos Aires and discovered that there are more book stores in the city of Buenos Aires then in all of Brazil. Once again an illustration of Brazil's history and committment to a decent level of quality education accessible to all.

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My recent return...
written by Bo, October 19, 2009

when i go out on out of the country business trips , sometimes to 2 continents, when i even just arrive at the gate of the flights back to brazil, the beautiful portuguese ,brazilian style, starts to float over the air like a sweet perfume with its lilting rhythm and soft cadences, and the crowd starts to get that incredible racial mix that especialy plays out in the womans features ( at least im a man so i relate to the women more)....f**k it, hell year, im here because i like to be around the brazilian people....and my rectum is getting as stretched as any of you by the corruption and struggle to get by ....

was a little different asp. I agree with you that when I return to Brazil after a trip abroad I look forward to seeing many people and doing many things. But let me tell you about my recent return.

The week before I left for the states I sold 5 small houses on the beach here in my city. Houses that were owned by my English friends. A local real estate agent was responsible for 2 of the sales. I have powers of attorney for all of my english friends. A day or two before travelling we went to the cartorio and made a contract of buy and sell for one of the properties. Everything was put down on paper as the english homeowner asked. Possession was not to be given until the monies were paid in full. We were responsible to pay all outstanding debts. A downpayment was to be made at signing of the contract, and the houses were sold "as is". As we were making the contract and the tabelião, in which I know well, asked me the price of the sale, I told him, then the agent interjected and said, "oh, no, there's an additional 5,000 on top of that." And then he mumbled some horses**t which wasn't even audible and then said, "and you're going to pay me 5% commission on top of that as well."

OK, now, how do I justify that to the english homeowner, my friend?

I left the keys to the houses along with signed receipts with blank spaces to fill in values and specify house numbers with a good brazilian friend of mine. Before I left I went and got bills for outstanding debts to be paid such as property taxes (iptu), tax for land by the sea(laudemia), water, energy, and overdue condominiums. Also before I travelled I had a meeting with the sindico of the condominium and he agreed to allow the english to pay just the principle balance that was owed, removing all interest and penalties, which was very nice of him. Also, one important fact to know is that the vast majority of houses sold in this condominium to English have not been deeded to them by the builder. He attempted to charge each english homeowner an additional 10,000 reais to deed the homes to them, in which they had already paid at purchase, which was "a vista", anywhere from 4-6 years ago. Many of them, around a dozen, have lawsuits against this builder. ALSO, the condominium association has a lawsuit against the builder as well for overdue condominiums for houses that are still in his (the builders) name.

I travel to the U.S., I was there for a month. While there I receive an e-mail from the real estate agent saying he was preparing to go and pay the condo payments. I called him immediately and told him, "whatever you do, do NOT make those payments. I have an agreement with the sindico and will pay him the moment I arrive back in Brazil. Also, and most important, the builder must deed these homes to the english before any outstanding debts are to be paid, as legally, the properties are still in his name, and also, the condo. association has a lawsuit against him for the overdue condo payments. So, this lawsuit gives the builder a very big motive to deed these homes to the english. If the debts are paid before he gives them the deed, then what incentive does he have to do the right thing?

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con't.
written by Bo, October 19, 2009

Well, arrive back home in Brazil. Within 24 hours I discover that the condo payments were paid for the 2 houses by the real estate agent. And not just the principle amount owed....20% was added on top for supposed "lawyers fees" pertaining to the lawsuit. I then asked "did you pay this with your money?". Nope! The buyer of the property has already paid the AGENT for the property in full...deposited the monies into his account! The agent also told me that he made numerous small repairs on the house and was talking as if he would be deducting these expenses from the money that was paid! Then, I go to the houses, people (the buyers) were in BOTH of the houses. One of them just stayed the weekend and has already returned the key, but the other, when I went and spoke to him and asked him when he would be vacating the house and to call me to return the key he was stunned. He said he was given possession of the house by the agent. I asked him if he read the contract. He said no. I gave him mine to read. Needless to say he was a little upset. My friend who had the keys gave them to this agent, with my permission, to SHOW the buyers the homes, but it was explicitly stated that they were not to be given possession and after he showed them the homes the keys were to be returned to my friend.

Then, to make matters worse, this past week I went to the courthouse here. Went to get a copy of the case of the condo. association vs. the builder. Had to go to the archives as it had already been terminated. Got a copy. NONE of my friends homes were involved in the lawsuit yet they were being charged "lawyers fees" for a lawsuit pertaining to their houses which never existed!

That is the "merda" that I arrived back home to. And there's some other things that occurred as well in which I won't go into here, but my friend, to state that within 24-48 hours after arriving back here that I wanted to grab my bags and run for the airport is a gross understatement. These poor english, not to mention poor me as I take on the brunt of all of this and have to fight to make sure we're not screwed....again, it's just too much. I should also mention that these are the same english that I have spoken about here before. That they bought their homes around 4-6 years ago. That they paid anywhere from 150,000 reais up to 180,000. Then they came here and spent some time. Many became friends with their brazilian neighbors.....only to find out that their brazilian neighbors bought their houses for 80,000 to 100,000 reais.

Ever hear the saying, "they'll get ya coming and going", well, there it is. "Bem Vindo ao Brasil!"

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bo, bo , bo
written by asp, October 19, 2009

i feel for you ,man

all i can say is, there was a period that i was desperate to get my business to a higher leval and i was taking risks in both the usa and brazil and i got taken handily in both countries

that situation you are in sure sounds like a twisted mess....a mess that if i was trying similar negotiations , i could run into also...but i have no doubts that there are plenty of rip offs in the usa with plenty of oportunists ready to take the shirt off your back if they can...

im my neighborhood,i got my crudy apartment for 45,000 some 17 years ago. after the barrio got a big rep**ation, i see people in my building trying to sell their apartments for 450,000

what i see myself doing is a lot less ambitions on doing things . the less i try to invest in the less i get ripped off...but as i said, that goes for the usa also.i just went through another bad experiance in my business with an american who just didnt get what i needed and was reminding me every day how the clock was ticking on our arrangement and i would have to pay more...i had to let go of this person and now im doing it with a brazilian team with the first step already taken care of and successful...i did get my money back from the american and i give full credit to her for that...

what i look for is the person who will really do the job and then i try to keep doing business with those people....beleive me,i have equal parts bad experiance in both counries on being ripped off

i had a big problem finding a good dentist, actualy meaning one that has nitros oxide...i had a good dentist before but she couldnt take care of my pain and was always telling me of people who would not even take novocaine to get drilled on....luckily . after 17 years here, i found a great dentist and we actualy could rent the nitrous tank from his freind...the guy is really good, but, the third appointment....the nitrous didnt kick in...luckily the next time it did...the guy is good though...one just has to keep looking...and keep going back to people who do honest work

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to Bo
written by Hans H. Pinto, October 19, 2009

I concur with everything you have said. My experience in Brazil is much the same. I love Brazil, but usually it is a love/hate relationship. At times I feel like a jilted lover. I am required to live in Leblon due to security concerns and pay a high premium to do so. Not a problem, but what I have noticed is once are start talking to merchants the prices of things seem to go up.

On one occasion I was with young Brazilina woman who I was dating at the time. We were at a popular local restaurant and she I ordered for her and myself. The waiter started stating that the price was incorrectly reflected in the menu and it would cost more because the items requested were no longer available.

To the waiter's dismay, my date tore into his ass. She demanded to see the manager. After her intervention we were given a free meal but this has been the case just about everytime I try to buy or repair something. Even the banks rob me blind when I do a wire transfer. They charge me for the receipt of my money and then exchange my dollars for upto 20 cents below the current exchange rate.

I love Brazil for all its beauty, to include the beauty of much of its culture and people, but I am saddened by they lack of integrity and civic responsibility. When I leave Brazil I will miss it but I will be glad to be back home.

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...
written by Bo, October 19, 2009

When I leave Brazil I will miss it but I will be glad to be back home.

You can say that again brother. My heart will absolutely break leaving my daughter here, in this environment, as even though her mother and their family are people of principle, the majority in her environment are not.

Thanks for the words asp, the only thing I would say, is that although these types of things happen in the U.S. they are most definitely the exception and not the rule. Unfortunately, if you live where I live and your a foreigner, if you don`t get taken by someone in some way, shape, or form, its an absolute miracle.

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...
written by João da Silva, October 19, 2009

When I leave Brazil I will miss it but I will be glad to be back home.

Unfortunately,many Brasilians with "unquestionable integrity and civic responsibility" no longer have this luxury nor nurse such thoughts anymore.

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An Opinon.. To Bo...
written by Leo Bonneville, October 19, 2009

A couple of suggestions..

In Brazil specially, because how hard money is to come by to some, they tend to take advantage of the foreigners, which is a shame...

In your situation, with that agent demanding last minute that you pay all those extra fees, $5000 for kfifjsd, 5% commission, etc.. You should have used the old american saying.. I'LL GO DO IT OVER THERE, ITS CHEAPER!

People in Brazil will not take advantage of you if they know you have other options, so even if you don't, pretend you do and less people will try to take ya for a ride.

It is fortunate that things like this happen but being in the Real Estate indurstry myself, I see it here too. except its the hispanics usally the ones, you know, paying the higher closing costs, fees that most Americans don't pay, higher interest rates and not to forget the steering going on.

TAKE ASP'S ADVICE..

KNOW WHO YOU ARE WORKING WITH, AND BE VERY BLUNT AND STRAIGHT FORWARD WHEN DEALING WITH THESE CROOCKS.

Leo Bonneville

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you are going to miss rio, hans pinto...
written by asp, October 19, 2009

" a love hate relationship..." yeah, i can remember feeling the same way the first half year or so i was there...but, something gets under your skin there in rio... i cant put it exactly into words..but its a very real feeling...i dont know if you ever got to an escola de samba practice, but, i cant ever get that out of my system...the beach life is just differant than anywhere...i bet you are going to miss it when you are gone...

bo, sounds like you are heading back to the states again...i also feel for your feeling of leaving your daughter , if that is the case, but, it will be a short time and she will be able to join you there and it will be a great bonding thing also, her father living in america...it will help shape her long distance or if you are still in sergipe

i dont know about sergipe, but, i think things coule be like leo is saying. i think the people on top are usualy the ones doing the most hustling and caniving. ive seen humble people ive worked with in my business up in pernambuco get ripped off by the more powerful people...almost as though they felt a right to exploit them...so imagine with foreiners

yeah, leo, i would get nickal and dimed a lot at first in brazil and the dollar was so strong i wouldnt get too out of joint...now the dollar is getting so weak i have to be much more ready to jaw it out for each penney aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh

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Leo...
written by Bo, October 19, 2009

Just to let you know, I've been here for 10 years, been working in this area for a LONG time, and would venture to say that there's not too many people that know more than me when it comes to foreigners making investments in Brazil.

Also, there is no one, today, that can get anything by me in a real estate deal, I know exactly how things need to be done.

So, you may ask yourself, how did things go the way they did with these two deals. Well, if I want, the buyers have COMPLETELY, 100%, broken a signed contract that we have registered at the cartorio, all because of a "safado" corretor, or real estate agent. The problem now is, as I stated above concerning when Jewish bankers hired consulting firms when the saw the absurd returns the banks in brazil were achieving......THERE'S NO JUDICIAL SECURITY!

And even though, if we had to go to court, I feel 99.9% confident that we would win, but the problem remains....how long would it take?

3 years is an absolute MINIMUM. 5-10 years is average. And it's not unheard of at all to take 15, 20, and even 25 years.

So, this is the problem my friend. You got the law, right, and reason on your side.....great. But if the other side hires a decent lawyer in a system where the appeals process seems endless and the "morosidade" or slowness of the courts is, well, difficult to believe.....there ya have it.

Seems to me that you're just starting business in Brazil. I've already been around the block, several times. And in Brazil, it's BUYER BEWARE.

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to Bo
written by Hans H. Pinto, October 20, 2009

Bo, I have been speculating about purchasing a property in Brazil but have been aprehensive because of all the problems involved. I would like together one on one to discuss what you know and any recommendations

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Hans...
written by Bo, October 20, 2009

55-79-9131-6831

There ya go, give me a ring.

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I am Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
written by agsghgs, October 22, 2009

Bo(ão), since I konw your telephone number now… here is a trick I am going to play with it:

I gonna pretend to be a gorgeous horny Swedish blonde on some dating board chatroom, and I will post to potential studs out there, to call me collect at 55-79-9131-6831, for a private conversation…. I will insist that only black men may apply, and that I will accept collect-calls to the right gentleman. Please be prompt, while my husband is on a business trip.

Hehehe…. You gonna a busy-bee with all the incoming phone calls, enjoy it…. Hehehe

To all the other gringo friends here… UP YOURS!

Florist (…..0…..) Brown, Up Yours 2!

CHC (Chronicle Herpes Carrier), the gayman with itchy genItalia, living north of Italia… Before I forget, up your BUTT BUTT BUTT….


Costinha

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Florist (…..0…..) Brown recent photo
written by cds, October 22, 2009

And, I also noticed your English has not improved a bit… Same old s.h.i.t., different day.


Costinha

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Florist (…..0…..) Brown recent photo 2 (didn't come out)
written by ..., October 22, 2009

see it here:

http://media.nbclosangeles.com...ostume.jpg

Costa

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.... Keep On Truckin
written by ..., October 22, 2009

OK.... this site is blocking the referred website (the biased management here!). Just cut & paste to see Florist (…..0…..) Brown:

http://media.nbclosangeles.com/images/410*307/Target's illegal alien costume.jpg

Huggies...

Costinha

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LOL . . .
written by Charles Arnold, October 27, 2009

I have to laugh every time someone suggests Brazil will somehow eclipse the U.S. in financial or military power. What are you guys smoking? just wishing it would happen will not make it so. I moved to Brazil from the U.S. for many reasons, and I admit the U.S.A. has many problems they need to deal with. But, to think a country led by greed and usury will succeed in becoming an enduring world power? Or that the U.S. even cares about such ambitions of a third world country? BRIC? I wonder why the Chinese and the Indians are investing so much in educating their masses yet the Brazilians prefer to keep their citizens in the dark ages? Ask the Soviets how that worked for them?

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Charlie, Come On Now!
written by ..., October 28, 2009

I’m sure you heard the expression “He who laughs last laughs most,” so don’t you go too far with that, alright. However, someday you'll go too far - and I hope you stay there. Besides, if you can’t stand the heat then get the f.u.c.k.-o.u.t. of the kitchen.

Bitching and moaning while living in Brasil…Huh? Classic american style!

Now then, Charlie just run along because there is NO FAGGING ALLOWED around here.

Your presence will be greatly improved by your absence.

Hugs

Costinha

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Reply to Charles Arnold
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 30, 2009

Charles Arnold: I wonder why the Chinese and the Indians are investing so much in educating their masses yet the Brazilians prefer to keep their citizens in the dark ages? Ask the Soviets how that worked for them?


*****


Ricardo: I don’t know how you arrived to that conclusion, anyway you are very misinformed on this subject.

You should read:

Brazzil Magazine - September 06, 2006 - “While the American Dream Is Outsourced Brazil Drives the World into the Future” - Written by Ricardo C. Amaral

http://www.brazzil.com/compone.../9684.html

Hits: 12,000
(2,500 hits since December’0

Quoting from that article:

The Legacy of the Soviet Union

In 2003 the book, "After the Empire - The Breakdown of the American Order" by Emmanuel Todd (Columbia University Press - February 2004) was a best seller in Europe. Among a number of interesting facts mentioned in his book Mr. Todd identified something very important regarding the communist Soviet Union that will create a major problem for the United States in the future regarding the new US service/technology economy; an area that today the United States claims to have an advantage over the rest of the world.

The Soviet Union under its communist ideology placed a high value on education, as a result, after the collapse of the Soviet system they left behind as its legacy, a large number of very well educated people not only in the Soviet Union but also on its communist satellite countries. And the United States with their declining education system will have a hard time competing in the future with all these very well educated people left behind by the dying communist world. American companies are taking advantage of this large pool of very well educated people and they have been outsourcing jobs from the United States to Russia, Hungary, Check Republic and so on...

The English Language

Besides the major advances in technology, the English language makes it easier for companies to implement the outsourcing process of American jobs to other countries. American companies of all sizes are not wasting time and they are outsourcing a massive number of jobs from the United States to India, China, and many other countries around the world. These are countries that have not only the lower costs, but the people can communicate very well in English; and that alone helps simplify and speed up the outsourcing process of jobs out of the US economy.

The job market in the United States is under attack in three major ways: First, the United States is exporting good paying jobs to other countries via outsourcing. Second, by the permanent replacement of jobs by new technologies; in this case jobs disappear forever.

Third, is eliminating jobs by mergers and acquisitions where the major goal to achieve a profit on these deals is by the elimination of thousands of jobs in the merged companies.

One result of all these trends is a net reduction of salaries and benefits for US workers at almost all levels, (except for a few people on top of the management pyramid) which in turn will result in lower taxes paid by these people to the state and federal government.

Today, American companies don't have another choice other than help the self-destruction of the current American capitalist economic system. This self-destruction is happening on a daily basis and a lot faster than most people realized in the United States.

Anyone can see the evidence of this self-destruction on a daily basis on the news; all kinds of American corporations are repudiating on the promises that they made to their employees regarding pensions, and health care costs and so on. These trends will have a major negative impact on an increasing number of people in the American population: you worked your entire life and thought that you had a pension and other benefits to support you in your old age, then the American corporations changed the rules of the game and decided to say, "sorry, but you are out of luck, we can't afford paying you your pension just find another way to pay your bills." Today, there are 40 million retirees in the United States, and there are another 77 million baby boomers coming very fast down the pipeline.

This change of policy by the American companies in the United States will have a major negative impact in the lifeline of its capitalist system, since this pension money is very important in the creation of the pool of money available for investment in the American capitalist system.

.

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Reply to Charles Arnold
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 30, 2009

Ricardo: I posted this information on the following thread on Brazzil magazine: “US Military Presence in Colombia a Threat to the Amazon”

October 5, 2009

Ricardo: Quoting from The New York Times article: “One man who has suggested that more American troops are not the answer is Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, who was a K.G.B. agent in Kabul during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Last October Mr. Kabulov told my colleague John Burns that the U.S. had “already repeated all of our mistakes,” and moved on to “making mistakes of their own, ones for which we do not own the copyright.”

Note: In case you don’t know: John Burns is a well-known reporter of The New York Times.

Since most Americans are not aware of what is going on in the war of the US against the Afghanistan – here is a reality check for you.

In summary: These people kicked the ass of the last 2 major superpowers:
First, the British, and then it was the turn of the Soviets – and finally, now they are going to…And once again history repeats itself.

In a Nutshell: Massive defense spending year after year was the “Achilles Heel" of these former superpowers, and in the last 40 years the United States has been following on the footsteps of the Soviet Union – and you can bet that massive defense spending year after year is a proven formula to kill a superpower every time

.

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Have it your way . . . .
written by Charles Arnold, October 30, 2009

You can quote all the articles and form all of the opinions you like, and I'm not going to bother with putting much time into debating with those who have an emotional stake in their argument, but as long as Brazil is governed with greed and fear of it's own citizens being educated, it will never be able to become the stable world power that you people wish for. Believe it or not. A rudimentary education in history and social studies will teach you that.

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Reply to Charles Arnold
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 30, 2009

I am not trying to make a case against education in Brazil.

I want that the entire population to at least have a decent change of getting a good education.

On my prior posting I was just let you know that you had the wrong perception about the educational system under the Soviet system.

I am not a communist or have an agenda in the area of education. I was just stating a fact.

.

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Correction
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, October 30, 2009

I am not trying to make a case against education in Brazil.

I want that the entire population in the future to have at least a decent change of getting a good education in Brazil.

On my prior posting I was just letting you know that you have the wrong perception about the educational system under the old Soviet system.

I am not a communist or have an agenda in the area of education. I am just stating a fact.

.

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...
written by Charles Arnold, October 31, 2009

It appears to me you are the one who has the misconception of the Soviet education system. You get your facts, (opinions) from some writers who also have an emotional stake in their arguments. The Soviets never did educate their masses. They educated an elite few only for the purposes of the government, and wherever your writer got the idea the U.S. is outsourcing large numbers of technology jobs to eastern bloc countries is erroneous. It simply isn't happening. So, spend the rest of your day searching the web for some prejudiced writer who has published an opinion contrary to mine if you wish. But the facts are simply the facts. And for anyone to believe Brazil will eclipse the U.S. in military or economic power in the next 100 years is lunacy. The total GDP of china today is but a tiny fraction of that of the U.S., and their military power is an even smaller fraction. I'm not whining about Brazil as you suggest. On the contrary, I love most of the people here and many things about this country, but as I was discussing with a University professor today, the average Brazilian is lacking sorely in education, and there will be no change if left to the government and the elite. I get my understanding of Brazil from the Brazilians, not from some articles I read. My purpose in Brazil is to assist the poor families of the area where I live, and one primary tool in doing this is to assist them in attaining an education, so I do have some idea of how the government plan is working out for them. It isn't. As I said before, I.m not going to waste much time debating a point in which the opposition has an emotional stake. That is a waste of time, for which I have other uses. Case Closed . . . For me ! ! !

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Charles Arnold
written by João da Silva, October 31, 2009

so I do have some idea of how the government plan is working out for them. It isn't.

Hi,

Three questions:

1)Which region of Brasil, are you working to assist the families to attain education?

2)Why do you think that the government plan isn't working?

3)Do you think that the government has a plan at all?

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Reply to Charles Arnold
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, November 07, 2009

You said: “So, spend the rest of your day searching the web for some prejudiced writer who has published an opinion contrary to mine if you wish.”

Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t give a s**t about your opinion.

But I certainly would pay attention to what Emmanuel Todd has to say, since he is one of these very few exceptional people who can see with clarity some trends about the future that most people can’t see it.

You probably never heard of Emmanuel Todd and you also don’t have a clue why he became famous anyway – why should I waste my time with you?

.

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Reply to Charles Arnold
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, November 07, 2009

Charles Arnold: And for anyone to believe Brazil will eclipse the U.S. in military or economic power in the next 100 years is lunacy.


*****


Ricardo: I have no idea what the world economy is going to look like 50 years from now, never mind 100 years from now...

Your comments make you sound like a Bristish person around the end of WW I, and just look what has happened to the British Empire in the last 90 years - for all practical purposes the UK economy is semi-bankrupted today - and the British to this day still under the illusion that the Pound Sterling still is an important world currency.

.

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Reply to Joao da Silva
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, November 10, 2009

Joao,

I just posted some new information on the following thread:

"US Military Presence in Colombia a Threat to Brazil and the Amazon"

http://www.brazzil.com/compone...mazon.html


We are lucky that we have the BBC News, and European News on our television cable system, otherwise we would not have any idea of what is happening in the border of Venezuela and Colombia.

As usual the mainstream media in the United States is completely missing in action - the U.S. mainstream media is on dying mode and they are becoming completely useless - most of the U.S. mainstream media have no clue about the mess that is developing in South America - they don't now that the United States is in the process of starting another Vietnam, but this time around in South America.

Hugo Chavez said over the weekend that they are ready for a 100 year war that will engulf the entire South America.

Hugo Chavez is getting very c**ky regarding this war - indirectly a war against the United States - and I would not be surprised if in the last few years Fidel Castro has transferred some of his 162 nuclear warheads arsenal that he got from the Soviet Union in the 1960's transferred a number of warheads from Cuba to Venezuela, since he knows that Hugo Chavez is the person who will continue Fidel Castro's work in the Americas after his death.

One thing we know for sure: the United States Intelligence is worth s**t, and they have a long list of screw ups to back them up and most of the time they can't connected the dots even to save their lives.


.

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The United States is underestimating the situation in South America
written by Ricardo C. Amaral, November 10, 2009

Right now, the United States Armed Forces might be dusting off their old plans that they used when they attacked Panama in 1989 to get rid off General Manuel Antonio Noriega.

On 19 December, President George H. W. Bush decided to use force against Panama, declaring that the operation was necessary to safeguard the lives of United States citizens in Panama, defend democracy and human rights, combat drug trafficking, and secure the functioning of the Canal as required by the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

“Operation Just Cause” was justified by the United States as necessary to secure the functioning of the Canal and re-establish democracy in the country. Although described as a surgical maneuver, the action led to civilian deaths whose estimated numbers range from 400 to 4,000 during the two weeks of armed activities in the largest United States military operation after the Vietnam War. For some commentators, the action was not intended only to rid Panama of the dictatorship, but served also to reinforce United States authority over the region right at the end of the Cold War, as well as use Panama as practice field for weapons and strategies that would shortly after be used in the Gulf War.

This time around the new action for the United States war machine will be against Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and it will be called “ Operation We Are Desperate For Oil”.

I am sure that Hugo Chavez is aware of what happened to General Manuel Antonio Noriega in 1989, and he must be prepared for that possible event.

As usual the United States is underestimating the situation in South America, and how quickly the entire mess can spin out of control resulting on major unexpected consequences.

.

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Ricardo Amaral
written by João da Silva, November 10, 2009

Hi Ricardo,

Thanks for the info. Will be reading it later. In the meantime, I am posting a link about Broadband project, which is a passion for both of us!
I am amazed that the cartel consisting of Telefonica, Oi, Vivo, TIM, etc; want to get into this!! Please do read it:

http://www.estadao.com.br/noti...4175,0.htm

As usual the United States is underestimating the situation in South America, and how quickly the entire mess can spin out of control resulting on major unexpected consequences.

I think you, Augustus, me and several others share this feeling. Couldn't believe that Shimon Pires is also visitng Brazil before the visit of the President of Iran. Please look up in www.brazzilmag.com about his visit and the comments exchanged between DnB and me. Probably you have something to say about this.

A bit busy, but will catch up with you all later.

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Here it goes...
written by Vanessa_enav, October 01, 2011

All right, I don't really know how I ended up in this site, but I'm very glad I did.

There seem to be some seriously disturbed misconceptions about financial and military power in both brazil and USA with most of you people. Not to mention some extreme exaggeration regarding the quality of life in brazil.
First of all, yes, I am a Brazilian. But I'm also an American citizen who loves both countries and(contrary to some ignorant people here), knows both of it's strengths and weaknesses. No, my little stupid friend, brazil is not planning an elaborate and imaginary attack on USA. Don't worry, ur trailer will not be bombed.
Allies are made, amongst other reasons, to help the parties involved in economical and structurally. Not only to bomb other people. Brazil has never gone against USA in a war. Quite the contrary, Getulio Vargas (that was a brazilian president fyi) was an ally of the united states during the second world war. Jesus, it's like teaching abc to a little kid...

Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, since the time these comments were made about it, brazil has grown exponentially. Both in technology and economically. We are independent in oil, water, energy, food, and yeah, we also hv that nifty little amazon forest that the USA amongst other countries keep attempting to acquire. Yes, we hv structural and social problems. With Health, violence, corruption and a number of other things. But tell me something, doesn't the us has problems? Or is this financial crisis and unemployment rate(which right now is higher than brazil's) normal for you?
Why so much hate amongst other countries? Y can't different people from different regions learn how to RESPECT each other?
That is what causes wars in the first place. Ignorance and lack of respect. Which most of you seem to suffer from.
Learn something before you claim to be informed about it.
I love both of these countries. They are allies. If only people were less judgmental and precipitated on matters that they don't understand... There would be no reason for me to b here, aquatint my f* time because I got pissed of reading s* from you. Excluding those of you who actually know what I'm talking about of course.
So learn something b4 you speak of it next time.

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