BRAZIL
September 2007 - Rio, Petropolis, Araras, Brasilia, Alto Paraiso, Recife, Pirapora
On this visit to Brazil, we had access to a car for a change, so we made a road trip to Alto Paraiso de Goias. We flew to Recife. But mostly we hung out with Lili's family in Minas Gerais, relaxing. Next week we embark on a whirlwind tour of Europe and Morocco...
I have received multiple requests to comment on Brazilian politics. So here goes...
The number one issue is corruption. There is some debate as to whether the president, known simply as Lula, is corrupt, but that is not the issue at hand. Almost everyone agrees (even people from other political parties) that he is a decent man and that his presidency has been good for Brazil. Some say he is incompetent, others say he is corrupt, but most say he is doing the best he can under the circumstances. That is, in a government where corruption is endemic, there is only so much that one man can do.
I think that Lula has proven himself as a real leader in international matters, but this is undervalued here in Brazil where people want to see results at home. The problem is that despite Lula's targeted efforts to combat extreme poverty, such as his Zero Hunger initiative, much of the federal money gets stolen before it reaches its intended recipients. Little money is actually at his discretion; he has to rely on congress to get things done; and he is frustrated by political opponents and corruption in his own party. Brazil has been seeing one corruption scandal after another. To me, it's good that at least they are catching some of the criminals in power.
There are a few significant issues. The first is ethanol as an alternative car fuel. Almost all new cars are "flex" meaning they run on ethanol or gasoline. This is good in that Brazil is energy independent. Brazil grows sugar cane for ethanol and that is on the rise. The widespread worry is that as gasoline prices inevitably soar, sugar cane will replace food crops, and this will make food too expensive (poor Brazilians rely on cheap food staples). For this reason, there is widespread opposition to exporting ethanol to world markets, especially to the USA. Furthermore, increasing ethanol production will accelerate the destruction of the Amazon rain forest. Note that Brazil's ethanol from sugar cane is far more efficient than America's ethanol from corn, which is a bad idea, a false promise.
Brazilian roads are dangerous. The federal government provides funds to improve this, but much of the work doesn't get done; politicians steal money and pay off the people who have the power to do something about it. Nevertheless, the roads have been improving over the years. Good!
Crime. Unemployment is high and the minimum wage is low. In some areas, the police are so corrupt that people are more afraid of them than they are of the drug dealers. Having said that, however, I feel safe in Brazil. One must simply exercise prudence and common sense (taking taxis at night, keeping valuables hidden, avoiding certain neighborhoods, and so forth).
Historically, most land has been owned by few people, and Lula has been doing something about it, in cooperation with the Landless Movement. The government has been buying large parcels of farmable land, splitting them up, and giving title to poor farmers.
Brazilians are always surprised to learn that the USA does not have universal health care. When I tell them how absurdly expensive it is (a friend of mine received a bill for $100,000.00), they are shocked. Brazil does have such a system, only it is underfunded, so some people die while waiting in line. The rich pay for private hospitals. But many people receive superb care (and medicines) for free. A friend of ours is getting free chemotherapy for her cancer, for example. I was shocked the first time I went into a Brazilian hospital, got treated, and it was FREE.
Many Brazilians have an unrealistic view of the USA. They see television and movies that show the good life, and they think the whole country is a land of plenty, where everyone lives in big houses, and money grows on trees. It is interesting that when Lili and I were traveling in Mozambique, the people watched Brazilian tele-novelas (which follow the lives of wealthy people) and thought that Brazilians were all rich. Once again, the power of the mass media to deceive should not be underestimated. America's current housing crisis is making the news here, and opening eyes to the reality of the situation. I was just reminded by an educated Brazilian about Hurricane Katrina as the exception that proves the rule: the media generally hides America's poverty. By the way, thanks to the Bush Administration, most Americans now know that they too have a serious corruption problem.
I see Brazil as a nation that will continue to grow economically. Much is good here, the abundance of natural resources, agriculture, tourism, industrial prowess, energy independence, and of course, the world's best soccer team. Compared to Americans, Brazilians tend not to be racist, they are more hospitable, and they have a stronger sense of family and community. From what I can tell, Brazilians are the cleanest people on Earth, from their houses to their teeth (they go through a lot of dental floss). The economy has been stable since the introduction of the real ended an era of hyper-inflation. (This was a crazy time; people got their monthly paychecks and spent it all that very day). It is more expensive to travel here than it used to be, and housing prices in nice areas have been climbing quickly. The Brazilian real has been rising against all major currencies. IF (big IF) Brazil can manage to curb the corruption with increased transparency, it could become an economic super power.
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