We know that the victory of nationalist Donald Trump to the White House in 2016 has seen stunning changes in the United States. The nation has not felt this divided in recent history, and that is saying something, given the racial and political tensions that dominated headlines in the 1960's, or the political divides during the Bush years. There has also been a spike in hate crimes, and it feels like there is a general rise in ugliness, in truly reprehensible behavior and thought.
As we also all know, the United States is a huge country, and for now, the world's leading superpower. So, what happens here has reverberations around the world.
Unfortunately, the trend away from a more enlightened mode of thinking, and towards greater democracy, and towards more totalitarian thinking and actions, predated Trump. Trump was the big victory in that direction, however, and if there were waves warning of an approaching storm before, that storm is gathering strength now. Everywhere, nationalist movements have gained strength. We see LePen becoming a political force in France, we see the rather extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) now standing as Germany's second party, while other nationalist movements are clearly gaining steam in nations like Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and Greece. We have also seen extremist governments take over in some eastern European nations, like Hungary, and Poland. There have been even stronger moves away from democracy in Russia, Turkey, and the Philippines.
But perhaps no place feels as alarming as the rise of Bolsonaro in Brazil. The newly elected President there was almost like a follow-up to Donald Trump's rise to the White House, and it has a huge impact. After all, Brazil is the regional superpower in South America. And his denial of climate change rivals that of the more infamous American climate change deniers, only the stakes are perhaps even higher, given the extreme importance of the Amazon rain forest being primarily in northern Brazil. Bolsonaro's policies are likely to lead not only to increased destruction of that rain forest, but even worse, to an outright acceleration of it.
Indeed, that is scary. To have an irresponsible, Trump-like politician making decisions about the delicate situation in the Amazon rain forest is very scary.
Yet, the damage that Bolsonaro is capable of is not restricted to that. Many felt that he brought many of the same negatives as the elected leader of Brazil that Trump has brought into the Oval Office. Bolsonaro has had a past history of xenophobia, with comments and attitudes that betray a clear and blatant racism, homophobia, and sexism.
And, of course, he seems to not be a big fan of democracy, and has glorified the military dictatorships in the not so recent past for Brazil.
Indeed, that is scary. To have an irresponsible, Trump-like politician making decisions about the delicate situation in the Amazon rain forest is very scary.
Yet, the damage that Bolsonaro is capable of is not restricted to that. Many felt that he brought many of the same negatives as the elected leader of Brazil that Trump has brought into the Oval Office. Bolsonaro has had a past history of xenophobia, with comments and attitudes that betray a clear and blatant racism, homophobia, and sexism.
And, of course, he seems to not be a big fan of democracy, and has glorified the military dictatorships in the not so recent past for Brazil.
And here is another scary thing that has just happened. Brazil's Ministry of Education recently made the decision that students returning from that country's summer break (remember, Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, so summer comes at exactly the opposite time of year as the one in the northern hemisphere does) should sing the national anthem, and that school staff should send footage of the children singing the national anthem to the ministry.
That is some Big Brother kind of stuff, is it not?
There was such an outrage over the decision, that the Ministry decided to back out of that.
"I recognize the error," Education Minister Ricardo Velez Rodriguez told reporters in Brasilia.
Well, good. However, the children and their parents are not out of it entirely. The Ministry decided to instruct school administrations to read a declaration to students, and this declaration included a campaign slogan used by none other than Bolsonaro. This is the slogan:
"Brazil above everything, God above everyone."
That is something that smacks of nationalism, and borders on fascist values. It would be a little bit like if the powers that be in Washington decided that a declaration that used Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan had to be read to American students.
In short, it clearly touches a nerve, and many feel it is yet one more instance of a creeping rise of fascism in Brazil. Perhaps a softer form of fascism, at least for the time being, but fascism nevertheless.
Scary times we live in.
Brazil ministry to schools: recite Bolsonaro slogan Brazil's Ministry of Education touched off an uproar by instructing school administrators to read a declaration to students ending with a campaign slogan used by President Jair Bolsonaro by ANNA JEAN KAISER Associated PressRIO DE JANEIRO — Feb 26, 2019:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/brazil-ministry-tells-students-recite-bolsonaro-slogan-61329308
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