Bolsonaro potential new president of Brazil serious implications

[camberiu]

Hey camberiu,
I do however believe that downplaying these worrying possibilities and not taking them seriously is a path of folly. As you say, fear mongering that a fachista authoritarian regime is inevitable, or very likely, is also hyperbole and dangerous. But let's take the possibilities a little more seriously...

Cheers!

There is a saying that goes more or less like this: "It is the pot that no one is paying attention to that usually boils over".

One of the things that makes me less worried about Bolsonaro is that he is transparent. He is what he is and what he has been for 30 years. He is thuggish, autocratic, authoritarian and a traditionalist and has always been that person. He never wore a different mask and I dont think he could even if he wanted to.
This means that every bill that he tries to pass, every policy he tries to implement, everyone he appoints will be scrutinized, challenged and questioned to the extreme by everyone else who opposes him. And that is a lot of people, institutions and politicians. Remember, more people voted for his opponent or nullified their vote than voted for him. So for someone controversial and polarizing like that to gradually, carefully and steadily encroach on democracy and take over power is extremely difficult, if not impossible.
The dictator/demagogue that I am afraid is the wolf on sheep clothing type. The one who call appeal to a broad base, build alliances, proclaim love for democracy and justice while grabbing power more and more behind the scenes in the name of the "common good". Those who claim to love democracy but happen to approve "Patriot Acts" because the situations are extreme and those will only be "temporary measures". Or Those who tap our phones and Internet communications and deny doing so. Or so called left wing progressives who want to implement press censorship laws to shield their administration from scrutiny and criticism.
Those are the ones I really fear as would be dictators. Bolsonaro is just a caricature, a farce that everyone can see from a mile away. He lacks the skills, subtlety and support to become a dictator, specially in a country as polarized and with the mature republican institutions that Brazil has today. So no, I don't think I am underestimating the risk. I think he will be a bad president, with bad policies, but not a tyrant. Not because he does not want to, but because he can't make it happen. And I think much of the buzz about him becoming a tyrant is hysteria.

 

[camberiu]

"It's not a matter of agreeing. It's written (in the Constitution) that we don't interfere in other countries' domestic affairs. It's not about agreeing, this is a democratic country and the principle is in our Constitution. It's a position Brazil holds with other countries in the world, of not interfering in other countries' domestic affairs."


Future Defense Minister Says There Are No Plans For Military Action Against Venezuela

 

[camberiu]

Not even 24 hours after the election......

Bolsonaro defends heavier sentences for those who discriminate against LGBT.

 

[sergio]

From the New York Times, October 28:

"Soaring crime, a struggling economy and corruption have dominated the debate".
"Brazilians' disgust with politics as usual became apparent in the first round of voting..."
"Public anger over crime also fueled the campaign. Brazil has averaged 175 murders a day in the past year, surpassing its previous macabre record..."

I get the impression that aside from Brazil's growing evangelical Protestant population who are likely to be intensely anti gay, most Brazilians voted for Bolsonaro based on disgust with previous corrupt governments and the serious crime problems.

 

[camberiu]

I get the impression that aside from Brazil's growing evangelical Protestant population who are likely to be intensely anti gay, most Brazilians voted for Bolsonaro based on disgust with previous corrupt governments and the serious crime problems.

That is correct. Pre-election surveys consistently showed that in a run-off vote against ANY major candidate except Haddad, Bolsonaro would have lost. That was true if the run-off was against Ciro Gomes, Marina Silva or Boulos. In such a scenario, the rational thing to do would have been for the worker's party to fall behind and support one of the other center left candidates. But we are talking about the worker's party here, the greatest hive of scum and villainy to ever inhabit the Brazilian political landscape. They categorically refused to support any candidate that was not theirs. In their minds, they were meant to lead, to rule, and everyone else must follow. Lula to rule Brazil (directly or indirectly from prison via Haddad) was his divine and unquestionable right and anyone who said otherwise was a heretic.
So as expected, the worker's party rejected all alliances in which they would not be the leaders. The first turn of the elections happened and Haddad and Bolsonaro were set for the run-off votes. Most of the center-left parties then either offered lukewarm support or outright refused to endorse the worker's party. So Haddad lost (as every pool suggested) and the worker's party when on to blame....the other center-left parties for not supporting them.

Bolsonaro's victory should be seen much more as rejection of Lula and the worker's party than Brazil turning into a homophobic/racist nation. Had the run-off vote been Ciro X Bolsonaro, for example, all pools showed that Ciro (who is center-left) easily beating Bolsonaro.
Bosonaro's presidency is another nasty legacy left to us by the Worker's Party. May they all rot in hell.

 

[Pensador]

This cat is a threat to the entire planet and should dealt with as such ASAP! Zero mercy!

 

[Pensador]

Now why would I say that? The Amazon is known as the lungs of the planet and this cat apperently does not want to protect that. He thinks big corp should have its way. What does that mean for the rest of world? These populists run on anti corruption now days but their corruption is far greater and could lead very well to end of us all. Sadly 90% or more of humanity is stupid and the few of us that are not have to watch this parade or stupidity. You mess up the Amazon you seriously mess this planet. God help us!

 

[sergio]

Neilson in the BA Times talks about Bolsonaro's evangelical Protestant ties: "Though the former Army officer says he remains a Catholic, two years ago he was baptised in the Jordan on the Israeli side of the river by a pastor of the Assembly of God, for a decade was among the worshippers in a Baptist church, and his wife is a devout evangelical".

I've read that his wife is actually an evangelical pastor though I haven't had confirmation of that. Whether that is true or not, Bolsonaro has close ties to evangelicals who are rapidly growing in numbers in Brazil (and throughout Latin America for that matter). For those who do not know the difference between Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism, aside from major theological differences, I would point out that evangelicals, unlike Catholics, are biblical literalists and much more inclined to be socially conservative. The liberal social positions expressed or implied by Pope Francis are in stark contrast to those of the evangelical churches. Neilson makes the point that the Catholic hierarchy (Pope Francis in particular) are critical of capitalism and blame the ills of capitalism for poverty and injustice whereas evangelicals deplore dependence on the state which they consider degrading and stress the virtues of work and self reliance.

I cannot say whether Bolsonaro is sincere in identifying with Brazil's evangelical population or if he is merely exploiting them for political purposes. Time will tell. The transformation of Latin America from Catholic domination to evangelical is a phenomenon that could have major social consequences over time.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Neilson in the BA Times talks about Bolsonaro's evangelical Protestant ties: "Though the former Army officer says he remains a Catholic, two years ago he was baptised in the Jordan on the Israeli side of the river by a pastor of the Assembly of God, for a decade was among the worshippers in a Baptist church, and his wife is a devout evangelical".

I've read that his wife is actually an evangelical pastor though I haven't had confirmation of that. Whether that is true or not, Bolsonaro has close ties to evangelicals who are rapidly growing in numbers in Brazil (and throughout Latin America for that matter). For those who do not know the difference between Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism, aside from major theological differences, I would point out that evangelicals, unlike Catholics, are biblical literalists and much more inclined to be socially conservative. The liberal social positions expressed or implied by Pope Francis are in stark contrast to those of the evangelical churches. Neilson makes the point that the Catholic hierarchy (Pope Francis in particular) are critical of capitalism and blame the ills of capitalism for poverty and injustice whereas evangelicals deplore dependence on the state which they consider degrading and stress the virtues of work and self reliance.

I cannot say whether Bolsonaro is sincere in identifying with Brazil's evangelical population or if he is merely exploiting them for political purposes. Time will tell. The transformation of Latin America from Catholic domination to evangelical is a phenomenon that could have major social consequences over time.

I can't disagree with any of that but isn't it interesting that we live in an age where we can call Catholic theology liberal?

 

[Rich One]

Bolsonaro's Super finance Minister Paulo Guedes will apply the economic measures applied by the Chicago Boys during the Pinochet regime in Chile After 1973.. Paulo Guedes himself a Chicago "Grand Parent" lived in Chile during that Period after 1973...


www.ft.com/content/1a2ba4f4-de4e-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c


The Chilean dictator’s solution was a dose of Milton Friedman-style free market economics by University of Chicago-trained academics.
Mr Bolsonaro is considering the same medicine in the form of Mr Guedes, who has a doctorate from Chicago and taught at the University of Chile in 1980 when Pinochet was in power.