Brazzil

When one truly sees brazilian "democracy" in action it truly is an insult to the very system itself. Brazil is living proof of how when democracy is prostituted it can be torted into an extremely corrupt system.

If the "checks and balances" in a democratic system are ripe with corruption it's difficult to call it a democracy, or a constitutional government, or at a minimum a system that is governed by "the rule of law", when one uses the U.S. as a yardstick for those systems.

Lula won the 2002 elections with a populist style not presidentialism style !

He just talks to the poors and works for the right.

Elections in Brazil is effectively an insult to Democracy.
Brazilian elections are just a huge place for very large and deep corruptions practices, and in the backstage, hidden dirty and stinky dealings.
This is when the biggest corruptions take place !

A mere 20 years of democracy in Brazil and this guy's ready to through it away. How dumb is that? Not that I have any problem with the notion of a parliamentary system of governance. It has worked well in many countries. But I think Zimmermann, being the officious jackass he is, is being a bit premature. Moreover, the notion that the office of the president is powerful in Brazil is just wrong. The office is weak. Indeed, Brazil's form of "presidentialism" is actually very parliamentary already. Lula came into the office with many items on his agenda that he simply could not accomplish under the Brazilian form of governance. I'm not going to proclaim that it is good or bad, but I can see that the economy is the best it's been in the last 20 years of democracy in Brazil. The efforts to curb corruption are moving forward, as opposed to what's going on in my country, the US. The generalizations about "Latin America" in this article are absurd and once again cause me to question the intelligence and honesty of Zimmermann. While he portrays himself as an academic, his writing is didactic and full of bias. I really distrust him because of it. If you do a google search of his name, you'll find something of the scope of his bias. This article is no exception.

Was the country not a democracy before the military junta ????
Come on ! You only had 20 years of NON democracy.
But you forget it all to excuse the lamentable democracy your country had, has and will have.
Your memory is short......on purpose !
Too easy !

quote:

"but I can see that the economy is the best it's been in the last 20 years of democracy in Brazil. The efforts to curb corruption are moving forward, as opposed to what's going on in my country, the US."

The economy is ok in brazil because the economy of the ENTIRE WORLD grew....and brazil didn't even make par!!! Brazil had the lowest growth rate last year of ALL latin american countries besides Haiti!

And corruption moving forward?? You got that right, brazil corruption is historic, setting records. And please don't start spouting s**t about the U.S. being corrupt, it can't hold a candle to brazil in respect to corruption, and if you debate that, I can fill the next 50 pages of one corruption scandal after another just in the last few years in brazil.

77% of ALL brazilian municipalities participate in corruption!!!

Corruption is not the exception to the rule in brazil, as it is in the states, it IS the rule.

Yes, basically those are the flaws in the Brazilian system and generally in South American Countries. The use to be the backyard of the USA, when strong pos II WW US Governments use to be very influential and with strong diplomats leading the local politicians. Since Clinton was more interested in Europe and the Far East, followed by a disastrous GWB foreign policy, local populism full of nepotism, because clentelism is very soft, generated a Hugo Chavez that dreams on implanting Simon Bolivar dream based on a strong economic support of crude oil and weak leaders like Lula, the opportunist "penguin" Kirschner in Argentina and the one in Bolivia that exist because of Chavez, creates a very unstable political environment here. Lula allowed a wave of corruption to maintain his Gov. developping a ficticious wealth based upon the financial speculation bringing short seasonable investors to pay the foreign debt and increase astronomically the internal debt. Multinacional companies are very sucessful like Petrobras and Vale do rio Doce, but the backbone of agrobusiness is in the bring of an explosive failure(The last departure of a capable Minister of Agriculture is a re warning) due to the total lack of Gov. investment in infrastructures like Ports and means of out flow both roads and railways. The special low interest rates for financing in the agriculture was neglected making equipment and all needed basics to a brinck of bankrupcy! The Country has all the ingredients to sucess, but the incompetence of the Government provides the above volatile situation.

quote:

"The Country has all the ingredients to sucess...."

yes, the country does, brazil is extremely rich in natural resources, the problem is the ideaology of the people. Someone once told me "the soul of brazil is corrupt", and I think that's a pretty good description. Although the gov't. in brazil is full of corruption, whether one talks about the executive, legislative, or judicial branches, it goes far beyond that. A large percentage of the brazilian population is corrupt, and the worst part of it is that most of them don't even realize when they participate in corruption or believe it not to be corruption.

In a recent brazilian poll civil servants were asked if they did a "favor" for someone, got something done within the gov't. branches where they worked in exchange for a "present", if that was wrong. Nearly 50% said there was nothing wrong with doing such a thing.

When corruption is more the rule than the exception to it, it's looked at as "business as usual" by most.

Sorry for the previous spelling mistakes:
Yes, basically those are the flaws in the Brazilian system and generally in South American Countries. The use to be the backyard of the USA, when strong pos II WW US Governments use to be very influential and with strong diplomats leading the local politicians. Since Clinton was more interested in Europe and the Far East, followed by a disastrous GWB foreign policy, local populism full of nepotism, because clientelism is very soft, generated a Hugo Chavez that dreams on implanting Simon Bolivar dream based on a strong economic support of crude oil and weak leaders like Lula, the opportunist "penguin" Kirchner in Argentina and the one in Bolivia that exist because of Chavez, creates a very unstable political environment here. Lula allowed a wave of corruption to maintain his Gov. developing a fictitious wealth based upon the financial speculation bringing short seasonable investors to pay the foreign debt and increase astronomically the internal debt.
Multinational companies are very successful like Petrobras and Vale do Rio Doce, but the backbone of agribusiness is in the bring of an explosive failure(The last departure of a capable Minister of Agriculture is a re warning) due to the total lack of Gov. investment in infrastructures like Ports and means of out flow both roads and railways. The special low interest rates for financing in the agriculture was neglected making equipment and all needed basics to a brink of bankruptcy! The Country has all the ingredients to success and become a world power, but the incompetence of the Lula Government provides the above volatile situation.
It does not mean that the previous Governments were better!
Naturally a Parliamentarian Gov. would be better at least to try a create a different democracy.
They are trying to create a one term 5 years term! But I think it will be the same story and...

Lula's not corrupt. He's done more to bring corrupt politicians to justice than anyone in the last 20 years. The comment above about the economy of Brazil being "okay" becuase of the "world economy" is simply an ignorant statement, if not an outright lie. You Brazil/Lula bashers are so narrow minded and blind with hatred and envy. You just can't stand the fact that Lula has improved Brazil. You can't stand that he's the best president Brazil has had. You can't stand that he's going to be re-elected. Go cry to your mothers.

Antonio, you've got more problems than poor spelling. Your thinking is worse than your spelling.

Based on most of the articles and most comments that this site has, I really think this is a site dedicated to the hatred and destruction of Brazil. Thank the Lord I haven't seen another Janer Christaldo Lula bashing diatribe lately. Not to worry. There's plenty of Zimmermann and Fitzpatrick bile, accented by the neocolonialist writing of that awful travel log writer whose name I have driven from my memory (if only her offensive writing could be so easily expelled).

quote:

"You just can't stand the fact that Lula has improved Brazil. You can't stand that he's the best president Brazil has had. You can't stand that he's going to be re-elected. Go cry to your mothers."

the only people that will be crying are the brazilians when this illiterate thief gets re-elected!

quote:

"The comment above about the economy of Brazil being "okay" becuase of the "world economy" is simply an ignorant statement, if not an outright lie."

Lie?? That's what YOU'RE doing! Explain to me then Einstein, WHY did Brazil have the LOWEST growth last year of ALL latin american countries except HAITI!!!

"WHY did Brazil have the LOWEST growth last year of ALL latin american countries except HAITI"

It didn't. It was about the same as Mexico. But note that Brazil surpassed Mexico as Latin America's largest economy. The slow growth rates in 2005 affected many countries. In all, 14 economies in Latin America - including Mexico and Brazil - saw slower economic expansion in 2005. The slowing of growth in Brazil was attributed largely to the mensalão "scandal," which of course proved to be a hoax (not to say there wasn't corruption. No surprise there. It affects all political parties. Of course, Lula came out clean.)

Gosh, Einstein, tell me why Chavez' Venesuela was the leading economy, with a near 8% rate of growth in GDP?

Looking at the stats again, you're right about Brazil's rate of GDP growth being at the bottom in 2005 (2.3%). So I'll give you that point. But that statistic didn't address the issue at all, i.e., your claim that Brazil's economy only increased because of the world economy. The statistic you raise was a non sequitur. Moreover, on point with the premise of the article, how do you explain the growth in the so-called "strongman president" countries, like Venezuela?

Corruption is not going away in Brazil...! Looks like you dont read the Brazilian news !
Brazil corruption is stealing money in amounts far in excess than before !

Sorry for you ! Afterall this stolen money is Yours with your direct and indirect taxes !
This explains why so little is invested in education and infrastructure just to name 2 examples. This also explains why Brazil has the world highest poverty rate when compared to your GDP per capita. Based on on your GDP per capita, similar developing countries have a poverty rate of 10 % but your rate is well above 20 %.
WHY ??????
Why your economic growth was a mere 3,1 % while other developing nations grew far more than that ? Some grew over double your rate ! Dont other developing countries not had the same problems you had ?

But of course you expect the developed countries and not your wealthy minority to pay for what was not shared within your own country ! Are you not the country with one of the world highest wealth inequality ?
WHY ?????

Why are you most of the time l at or near the top of what is bad and at or near the queue of what is good...when compared to other developinmg countries ?

You want a few more examples ????? :
- your rate of University degree is 10 %, Korea 86 % !
- your basic education rate and quality are lower than many poorer countries !
- some large areas of Brazil have a living standard similar to African thirld world countries ! Statement made by the World Bank Director around a month ago !!!!
- is Brazil not the most or one of the most violent country in the world ????? amd from what you know and read....is this goind better or worse....compared to before ????
- in Brazil 50 % of youths deaths aged 15-24 is from violent deaths ! Astounding rate by every measure and definition !
- How many murderers landowners went in jail....for the killings of 700 people...during 20 years in Para ? ZERO !!!!
- How many politicians ever went to jail for their proved guilty of corruption by the CMPI ? ZERO ! They were not even judged by the Justice....but by their peers in a secret vote...and those peers are as corrupted as the ones they.....absolved !!!!! Yesssss....Great...isnt it ??????
- What about the latest news of your ex minister Palocci : total silence ! Silence will last for the next few....decades....I suppose !
- What about those in the Bingo corruption : still in invesftigation.....!!!! Smile
- And your ambulances corruption ? still in investigation..... !!!! Smile
- and your furnaces corruption ? still in investigation !!!!
- and the killings of hundreds of innocent citizens annually by your police ? files misplaced. Thus lost ! In standby ! smile
- and the killings of innoccents (recognized by LEMBE) during the May chaos in SP ?
Forgotten, investigation closed ?
- and the blood butchery made by your police one night, last year, killing 29 innocents ? File closed ! Not one policeman found guilty and in jail !
I could continue the list for....hours !

Is that what you call DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE ????

As I say many times : Brazil is a shame to humanity and dignity !!!!!

Please review your sources. On 2005 you frew a mere 2,3 % , far less than Mexico!
And what about a 3 years time frame ? 5 years time frame if you like ! 10 years time frame....if you prefer. 15 years could even be better. Your choice could as be the 4 years of Lula mandate (including 2006 estimates) and the result is just above 3,1 -3,2 % !
Lets even give you more choices : pick 20, 30, 50, 100 or 200 years.

Quite shameful, whatever the time frame !

During the last decade, Brazil grew LESS than 2 % annually ! I think the real number is 1,6 % from an article in this same site !!!!!!!!

Isnt that great for a country that calls itself a "developing" or "emerging" country ???????

You developped what ? Where have you been emerging ?

Come on ! Reality cannot be hidden with numbers....but only with Lula's words, because he is proud of his lamentable and miserable achievements...he must lie and you must swallow what he did wrong !!
Reality is that your economic growth rate has been even lower than most Third World Countries ! Yessssssss.......so it was and so it is !!!!! And worse....you had no war....to give you some type of bad excuse !
Almost no country with vast natural resources became developped countries. These types of countries are usually too lazy. They just want to "pick and harvest" what is in the ground, but with the investments made by others, not by themselves.
Just think of it !
Just look at the wealthiest countries : NONE are rich in natural resources, they all import these products, put some technology and add value , and resell them...to those who have the natural resources. Just think of it ! funny....isnt it ?
Look at the USA, the EU countries, Japan, South Korea.
You may as well look at other importers of basic commodities : China, they buy from you , cotton, and they resell you textile products at prices you cannot compete with !
Thus you put some import restrictions despite your Chinese import textile represents 1 %
(YES 1%) of your textile industry. This you understand. But you dont understand when others do the same as you do, such as the EU for their agriculture.
KEEP in mind that in Brazil ALL exports are government subsizided one way or the other. That is not the case (except for agriculture) in the EU !
You understand your subsidizes and import restrictions on many many goods, but not the restrictions applied by others ! Is this what you call.....FAIR TRADE ??????
Reality is that your country is more closed to foreign goods than the EU is.
Afterall the EU is already buying a full 33 % of your agribusinesses products.

iI 2005 Brazil grew by 2,3 %.
And Mexico by 3 %.
Not quite the same.

Thus it remains that in 2005 Brazil had the lowest economic growth rate of ALL worldwide developing nations.
Thus it remains that in 2005 Brazil had the lowest economic growth rate of ALL
Latam and Caribean countries.....except Haiti !!!!!

There were several articles on this subject....in this site !
Just scroll down the news and you will read it by yourselves so you may eventually swallow finally the truth !

Stop finding bad excuses as Lula continually does ! You are not alone in this world who have problems, everyone have problems ! But at the end there is a ranking with the different similar peers ! And simply stated.....you are continually at the queue of rankings !

If you are proud as Lula is of his miserable and lamentable performance, good for you !
Simply stated, others do better.....almost all the time ! Sooooooo.simple !

Are you not exporting US$ 40 billions or so of agricultural products, but still havea population of tens of millions..........undernourrished ?
Be proud of your agricultural exports, since they are more important than feeding your own society !

Enough of "messiah" presidents!!!! Remember Getulio "father of the poor",or Janio's broom? And now Lula the messiah!!!
Parlamentarism is the only solution for a pathernalistic country like Brazil!

The other day I came across a book ("A fantástica história de Sílvio Santos" by Arlindo Silva -- not very good IMO) which describes the 1990 elections. There were more than twenty parties plus a horde of last-minute candidate and party registrations, all this to the tune of 40%-a-month hyperinflation. Nowadays, there are only a few relevant parties nationally, and financial life shows, except for the taxation component, a modicum of civilization. Central Bank president Henrique Meirelles said once that "Brazilians make decisions based on the agitation on the surface, but it is better to navigate deeper, steadier, and more secure currents". I like to think he is having such thoughts lately.

That said, I believe Parliamentarism would be best. I believe the rise and fall of the PT would be a lot quicker under such a system (e.g. gaining power in 1990 or 1998 and taking a vote of no-confidence a few months later). Furthermore, the current system has the potential for creating instability, as there are no clear-cut legal mechanisms for dealing with conflicts between Congress and the Executive, which are a fixture of Brazilian politics. An attempt by one of these branches to destabilize the other by extralegal means could conceivably lead to an institutional crisis. While I think this is unlilely in the short term, the gravity of such an event should prompt an overhaul of the system..

One item in the PSDB charter is the implementation of Parliamentarism in Brazil. I am wondering whether any of the dense-plumage toucans ("tucanos de alta plumagem" - PSDB mandarins) have any concrete plans, should the PSDB win the elections. Maybe a feasible proposition, given the mystique that developed around direct presidential elections in Brazil, is French-style presidential parliamentarism; ie, a president with actual executive power nominating (and eventually sacking) a Prime Minister. With some more enforcement of party fidelity, power could thus rotate within members, and therefore the political spectrum, of the ruling coalition, in such a way that new political ideas could be tried in a safe legal framework.

Don´t vote for coalitions. Don´t vote for politicians who you KNOW have a bent track record.INSISTon distict voting where each and every candidate is made LOCALLY accountable to ALL the constituents.

Who says the presidential elections in the US works? Didn't George Dubya Bush get in by vote rigging?