Brazzil

I admire Mr. Buarque because he is an educator and a politician for the Brasilean people of all sectors. With all due respect, what great achievements did FHC really progressed for the common citizens of Brasil? FHC's eight years in office and a life time in the political arena and Brasil still lacks in many sectors of society. It's no wonder why he is vacationing in North America more than in South America.
The country may be better today then thirty years ago but not because of his Presidency. Only the wealthy must think he was a great chief.
Today, he galumph around the U.S.A peddling his theories/lectures for dollars, while the country he left is still fighting goverment corruption, unequality, drug war, unsensable murders of the Landless Brasileans and indigenous Indians,etc. Why didn't his government protect the Brasilean borders earlier against the drug cartels from sorrounding countries? Specially, after the U.S.A. paid Columbia Arm Forces to stop the flow of drugs north but use the Brasilean corridors and Rio de Janeiro, with other major cities as port stations for drugs and today there is a Urban Warfare with many innecent people murdered. Maybe, he should be stored in a library like an unread old book. Until he shows the people of Brasil that he is really a Brasilean and not a French carpetbagger diplomat with capitalism in his back pocket. Again, what was his great accomplishements for the commom citizen?

The general public's expectations are always etreme when it comes to changes.Everyone expects change to happen overnight and I find this more evident among the Brazilian people at large . Obviously, Brazil is going thru transition and what a process and ordeal it is. Brazil at this stage must factor the idea have to be more reflective and responsible for it's actions and it's responses...no longer can the " jeitinho" mentality support the maladragem attitude that besets the general publics view on what is politically sound . Brazilians have to take into account the moral responsabilities and values of a society at large and be more accountable in the mentality for the actions that permeate its results.Basically what goes around comes around! So, take a look in the mirror and figure out what you want to look like. The issues are complicated and don't be so naive and ignorant in your rant and perspective.

People w/small mind.

FHC DIDN'T MAKE THE RIGHT THINGS FOR BRASIL WHEN HE WAS THE PRESIDENT AND NOW HE LIVES FOR CRITICIZING WHO IS IN THE GOVERNMENT AND ALSO ALWAYS MADE AND MAKE VERY GOOD USE OF ALL HOLES IN THE LAWS JUST LIKE ALL THE POLITICIANS USE TO DO. BRASIL NEEDS GOOD AND SERIOUS EDUCATION TO THE PEOPLE AND SERIOUS, HONEST AND COMPETENT POLITICIANS, SPECIALLY IN THE NATIONAL CONGRESSE WHAT JUST IS A BIG BOARD OF IMORAL SUSPICIOUS BUSINESSES AGAINST OUR NATION, EXACTALY LIKE IT ALWAYS WAS AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE. FOR GOD SAKE!!!... THE BAD-WASHED SPEAKING ABOUT THE DIRTY...

I can see why Brazil went backwards under cardoso. He might be an intellectual when talking about philosophy and such like . But how is that going to bring jobs, food, medical care, and education to the Brazilian people.It's allright to spend hours discussing such convolluted rubbish like dialectics and political theories.But after 8 years of his leadership can he point to single example that has improved the life of the Brazilian poor and hungry?? If he spent more time studying the plight of the 100 million Brazilians who live in grinding poverty than than talking mindless rubbish Brazil would be in a much better state than it is today. Lula is no better. Brazil will only be taken seriously when it has honest and proper leaders who will stand up for the interest of Brazil and it's long suffering people.That is, instead of paying 20 billion dollars a year to foreign bankers,(to pay for the debt) that money should go for education , health and other social needs.I like to add that it was Cardoso genius that brought such a catastrophy which the Brazilian people are still paying. What Brazil needs is an Hugo Chavez or Kirchneror even a Fidel Castro.But Cardoso or Lula are not the answer but the problem because they dictated to by Washington.

regards

jim

"What Brazil needs is an Hugo Chavez or Kirchneror even a Fidel Castro"

You actually believe that those three countries today are in better shape than Brasil? Amazing.

I guess and suppose that with the kind of mentality that individuals such as Mr Rubbish have I can see and understand clearly now why Brazil has problems and perhaps in future will continue having problems. The issues are complex and culturally speaking all the Brazilian people have to and must re-exame the political and moral values that Brazilians want for their society.

My friend I understand you're passion and the weight of your feelings but remember that you must have faith! and it will take time for Brazil to regain it's self-esteem and it's strength.

I personally feel that the third world country is more powerful in the sense when giving opinions and arguments. Just think about it, the most exploited nation must be the one that is weak and slow to response to changes around them. However that does not mean the most powerful nation of the world today can simply take advantage of the situation. I'll personally need to think more about both great Brazilian leaders way of thinking and hopefully all of us from around the world will sort of coming to terms of negotiation.

BRAZIL football fan

FHC's comments on the US election suggest he has been spending too much time commiserating with his Brown colleagues and insufficient time reacquainting himself with the US. The 2004 election was close: Bush won the election because he carried a large battleground state, Ohio, by 119,000 votes. If Kerry had run a competent campaign, by spending all of his campaign money (he inexplicably failed to spend $14 million) or by having a campaign message that made sense ("Help is on the way" is meaningless), Kerry would have won. The polls leading up to the election showed the majority of Americans believed it was "time for a change" but Kerry never offered a meaningful alternative. The American Left is bitter that it lost when victory was so close; hence, all the talk about red states with antiquated values and religious tints. We never heard the Left's whining about "Jesusland" when certain southern states and most midwestern states supported Clinton, did we?

Mr Buarque and Mr Cardoso are part of that ïntelectual" left that tend to do a better or a less mediocre job than say an outright idiot like Heloisa Helena ( senator) and Roberto Requião ( governor of the state of parana) would do. Nonetheless I think Brazil needs a leader than will get the government out of the way, reduce taxation and regulation and basically not draw to much attention to him or herself. We have never had this in our history despite of what the lefties say about the military dictatorship ( who actually formed huge state companies like TELEBRAS). It would be interesting if the public universities in brazil were privatised and our educators were judged according to results. If that were the case people like Mr Buarque ( ex education minister and ex dean of the university of brasilia) and Mr Cardoso ( retired filosofy professor of the university of São Paulo) would have to go out and get real jobs instead of living off of our tax money. After all if you want to spend yours discusing the "great history"' of has-been nations like france and speculate over marxs manifesto then do it on your own time and WITH YOUR OWN MONEY.

JUST TO REMIND FHC THAT ON 911 THE BRAZILIAN TV GLOBO TAPED THE MOMMENT WHEN HE WAS INFORMED THAT A PLANE CRASHED ON THE WTC AND CAUGHT HIM, WITH A CURIOUS HAPPY SMILE STAMPED ON HIS FACE, RUNNING TO A TV SET AND ONLY WHEN HE NOTICED THAT HE WAS BEING TELEVISED HE PUT A SERIOUS EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE. THAT SAME TRAGIC DAY HIS FOREIGN RELATIONS MINISTER, MR LAFFER, SAID THAT " NOW THAT THE USA HAS BEEN HURT IT WILL BE THE BEST TIME TO ADVANCE FHC'S GOVERNMENT INTERNATIONAL AGENDA". WEEKS LATER FHC WAS IN PARIS COMPARING THE TERROR THAT AMERICA SUFFERED WITH THE SAME TERROR THAT AMERICA'S ECONOMIC POWER INFLICTS IN THE WORLD. NO WONDER HE WAS NOT INVITED TO VISIT THE ROSE GARDEN WHEN HE CAME TO SEE PRESIDENT BUSH.
I WAS 18 YEARS OLD IN 1964 AND LIKE MANY OTHER BRAZILIANS YOUNGER AND OLDER SENSED THAT THE MILITARY WAS GOING TO REACT AGAINST PRESIDENT GOULART'S FOLLIES. HOW FHC CLAIMS NOW THAT THE "COUP" WAS A SURPRISE FOR HIM IS MIND BOGGLING.

The general public's expectations are NOT so extreme after all. Maybe if the author above was in his country at the time, he might of known and been informed why he was discharged from his post, instead of being in Portugal at the time.

No final do discurso, Lula aproveitou para alfinetar o ex-presidente Fernando Henrique Cardoso. "Quando terminar o meu mandato, não vou para a França ou para os Estados Unidos fazer pós-graduação. Vou voltar para São Bernardo", disse.

Again, the Brasilean voting public is searching for a honest leader(s) of and for the masses, not for the greedy capitalist who will answer to Washington and the banks whom are stealing the third world in the name of loans, world trade, etc.

they have done nothing for us they talk talk talk talk and nothing else who cares what they think the people know who they are and what they do they had their chance and where are they are they with the people no of course not they smile pretty they go to parties they publish scholarly works but remember they know it too just as you do