His being there is enough to make the Matterhorn give up and move Alps.
Dear Mark,
Reading your article, it seems like so many other critics, who have the power to write for a newspaper as respected as NYT.
And say things that are not happening in our beloved Brazil.
For example, you mention that our president Bolsonaro has the nickname "Trump of the Tropics", sorry but I never heard of it, I would do a poll here if anyone has heard of it.
Another item, our president has already stated here in Brazil that he will continue in the Paris climate agreement (definitely), do not question this doubt;
and another item that is not true it will NOT contain the rights of gays and lesbians and will NOT put civil society groups under stiffer control, this is untrue !! It's absurd to say that.
Please be better informed.
16
In fact he is not commonly known in Brazil by "Trump of Tropics", but by "Bozo" the clown. The other informations are accurate. He and his family are now in the middle of a big corruption scandal, and this is the reason why he ran away from the journalists.
15
What a great line!
“We represent a turning point in the eyes of the Brazilian people — a turning point in which ideological bias will no longer take place. Our motto is ‘God above all things.’ ”
That sounds so American! Since when is claiming direction from God/god not an ideology?
21
@Jim Greenwood
What do you know about my country? Now God is American! Did not know. From my country I can say, after all we vote directly and do not choose someone to choose for us, and I see none of this much less the withdrawal of rights. Much worse was Lula that a populist who to deceive the population did two parties that we did not only need to steal and so he is imprisoned.
9
@Cristiano
I did not mean any offense to Brazil, nor mean to make any claim to God being American! I was only observing that, in my opinion, religion is also an ideology. So to say that one does not have an ideology, that one relies on God, seems misleading. I wish the best for you, your country, and your new president. I will be watching the progress of both Brazil and Mexico under new leaders with interest.
10
@Jim Greenwood
No offense taken buddy, by the opposite: I apologise for the brazilian guy manners, being oversensitive and offensive. I agree with your observation. The fans of bolsonaro are aggressive and try to intimidate people who do not agree with their far right ideology. In fact they used intimidation as strategy. BTW, they have forged alliance with the cristians fundamentalists to win the elections, maybe this is the reason they like to mix religion and politics. Wish the best for you and your country.
11
So it’s come to THIS. Democracy and mass media has brought us to the point where everything is choice between economic and individuality strangling ineffectual “leftist politics” (add populism to taste) and environment raping / income gap enlarging laissez faire capitalism (add populism to taste). A century of mandatory public education and its come to THIS.
Who knew...our species was so idiotically complicated.
And yeah...I will still vote in EVERY election. Democracy is never truly like going to a restaurant where you can expect that at least there will be one thing on the menu that you’ll like. Still...one MUST eat.
2
What has he DONE against lesbian and gay rights so far? Nothing that I know. I am all for equal rights. Please explain, I am concerned, I live in Brazil.
9
@Maria J
Jair Bolsonaro has signed, in the first or second day of his term of office, a provisional measure that removes the LGBT population from human rights guidelines, shortly after changing the former Ministry of Human rights into "Ministry of Women, Family (!!) and Human Rights," headed by a woman who's already made several statements scorning the rights of the LGBT population: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2019-2022/2019/Mpv/mpv870.htm
In short: you definitively should be concerned.
10
@Maria J
To condemn publicaly lesbians and gays, as he has done along his career and during his populist speechs, is not alreadyenough for you? Look to his concrete actions indicated by the other reply. More humanity and solidarity, please.
7
“he has acted swiftly since taking power to loosen restrictions on guns, curb lesbian and gay rights, and put civil-society groups under tighter control.”
Only part right is loosen gun controls. What has he done about the other 2? No legislation passed or proposed about that. Cabinet members were reduced from 29 to 22 to better manage them, but all functions that existed are still there. Not true that the Human Rights dept was eliminated, for example.
7
@Maria J it wasn't eliminated, but the woman who's in charge of this dpt is totally insane! She's 100% intolerant and this is pretty clear when you see her speeches. I wonder how's it gonna be when she stops talking and starts acting. With no doubts, the ideology this government has been exposed is really conservative, and these groups of people will suffer, unfortunately. I'm afraid for the future in the next four years.
3
So we are all in an agreement that Bolsonaro did not “act swiftly to curb lesbian and gay rights” as the NYT wrote. He didn’t do anything. You are afraid he may do. Very different. I respect that you are afraid.
7
With his son now possibly involved with Marielle Franco’s assassination by milícias in Rio, Bolsonaro looses credibility from the ordinary people who believed his brutal, bizarre and dangerous arguments were the solution to a systemic corruption, the way of running government and politics for decades.
Of course the businesses elite he is bound to help will care little if he is The Godfather of all milícias of Brazil.
It will be interesting to watch how the military components of his cabinet will react. Unless they are also getting the same kickbacks. This government is devious and disgusting.
12
@Bea I have the same opnion , My country will suffer a lot with this government.
6
@Bea
Como você acredita em mentiras.
Onde está que o Flávio matou a Marielle?
Sua ignorância sobre meu país é brutal.
3
@Rafael
Sofrer ele sofre desde 2014.
Fizeram duas festas copa e olimpíadas sem precisarmos apenas para roubar. E o que foi feito pelo nordeste?
Qual direto foi tirado? De quais grupos?
Eu tenho medo de pessoas como você.
3
So proud of our new president. Finally we have politicians in charge that represent our people and our wishes. Bolsonaro, God is with you. Let's make Brazil great (for the first time)!
8