His talent is a living shoot grafted on a stout wild stock of glorious viridity. President Bolsonaro celebrated Brazil’s 200th Independence Day, on the seventh September 2022, as if it was his opportunity to take the mick out of democracy and everything Brazil stands for, though for some he’s an out and out hero, the best president in the history of democracy according to Bolsonaro admirers.
Tancredo de Almeida Neves was a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and entrepreneur. He served as Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs from 1953 to 1954, Prime Minister from 1961 to 1962, Minister of Finance in 1962, and as Governor of Minas Gerais from 1983 to 1984. He was voted elect President of Brazil by a smallish committee in 1985, but fell seriously ill before taking office, couldn't assume the post, and died 38 days later. José Sarney, the vice-president took office instead.
Then came the first President elected by popular vote after 25 years of an exceptional regime. Fernando Collor’s short period in government was marked by corruption scandals which led the Chamber of Deputies to authorize the opening of the impeachment process on 10th February 1992 in which Collor was removed from power.
Today Collor is potentially being elected in Alagoas, and Bolsonaro’s candidate for São Paulo governor, Tarcício de Freitas alongside Bolsonaro is giving unprecedented support to hail him for his fantastic work. For those of my readers who are familiar with Collor’s early days in office they will recall his audacity that paralyzed industry causing at least 200,000 layoffs (including mine), and whereby he impounded billions of dollars in bank accounts and left civil libertarians howling that his "New Brazil Plan" is high-handed or even authoritarian.
The decision by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) to maintain the ban on President Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) campaign from using images from the September 7 commemorations, on Tuesday (13/09), maintains expectations about the accusations received by the Court for possible abuse of political and economic power during the events of the bicentennial of independence.
Bolsonaro is no different to other corrupt politicians who put themselves in first place, and the citizens in plan B. Yes, he has some good intentions like others, but truth be known he rides off abusing his position. He doesn’t find the common ground with his people, and rather swings to what he wants which may not be what his people want.
He’s another good manipulator like Collor, but watch out for the money grabbing tactic which could be on the horizon if he is reelected.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Grafted (adj) = from the verb graft, implant, shoot, bud, insert
Stout (adj) = brave, firm, courageous, determined, resolute
Stock (adj) = standard, typical, routine, run-of-the-mill
Viridity (n) = brightness, vigor, rawness, callowness (clumsiness, tactlessness, ineptitude)
Alongside (adv) = together, combined with, besides, in conjunction with
Whereby (adv) = by which, how, by means of which, in accordance with which, for-which, with the help of which, so-that and by-means-of.
Libertarians (n) = an advocate or supporter of a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens.
High-handed (adj) = bossy, autocratic, dominant, undemocratic, arrogant
“His talent is a living shoot grafted on a stout wild stock of glorious viridity.”
Taken from a book called, The Book of Masks, by Remy de Gourmont.