Brazzil
Nation
December 2002

Letters

Lula Is All We Need

Regarding Mr. Amaury Ferreira dos Santos response to the article by Mr. Norman Madarasz (Brazzil - October 2002): I was dismayed by Mr. Ferreira dos Santos rhetoric calling President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a communist. Joseph McCarthy would have been proud of this American-Brazilian. Like a man of similar humble origins in North America, Lula brought himself out of poverty by his own efforts, he strengthened a workers Union so that its members could make a living wage and have human dignity, he educated himself by experience, hard fights and good deeds, he fought for the rights of the under classes and the majority of the Brazilian people at the same time, and against all odds became the next president of Brazil.

Were the people who supported Abraham Lincoln bozos? History has proven otherwise. The real bozos of Brazil are the supposedly well educated upper class elites who mismanaged Brazil's human and natural resources and its finances. They are the ones who borrowed heavily from the World Bank, the IMF and any other bank or institution willing to help them rape Brazil's future either through their own ignorance or through avarice. They are the ones whose lack of vision has helped produce the waves of economic chaos, inflation and lack of social justice that plagued Brazil far too long.

Lula won because the people in Brazil became fed up with the lies of the ruling class and economic instability their system of economics brought. The comparisons of Lula to Castro and Hussein shows bias and ignorance, while the reference to deceased former President Jango Goulart agrees with the militarism and interventionism that displaced him. George Bush would love Mr. Ferreira dos Santos notions of what is good for Brazil. Brazil has long needed a regime change if it is to achieve its promise of a large prosperous middle class, of a country with social justice, and hence people of courage, vision and supreme honesty must take charge. President Lula election will begin this democratic process.

Marina Pizzamiglio-Gutierrez
A Brazilian-American Citizen from California.

Illuminating Material

Dear Dário Borim, I would like to congratulate you for your article "Left is Right" - www.brazzil.com/p12nov02.htm . You demonstrated an accurate knowledge of what the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva represents to Brazil and to Brazilians. Independently of the results which will be achieved in a "Lula administration", the mere election of a former worker who starved in his childhood is already an achievement of our democracy and shows that social mobility does exist in the Brazilian society.

I have been reading some articles about Lula in the foreign press and I am shocked at level of ignorance about Brazil which exists even among the so-called experts in Latin America. Therefore, well written and balanced articles such as "Left is Right" are very important to educate foreigners about what is happening in Brazil.

Anderson C. A. Nascimento
The University of Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan

It Won't Work

In response to Roger Burbach's "The Lula Solution." Electing a 9-fingered, grade school educated, neo liberal (communist) factory worker may be a solution for Brazil, but that kind of thing doesn't work this far North. Lula has made tons of promises during his campaign, don't hold your breath to see if he will be able to come through with them. Brazil isn't exactly an economic giant that can handle poverty with the oh-so-usual leftist tactic of the redistribution of wealth. It will be interesting to see what change comes to Brazil in the near future.

"What if the Democratic Party adopted such a bold policy by pledging to eliminate the poverty that afflicts twenty-five percent of America's children?"

Are you trying to say that 25 percent of America's children are impoverished?

There are dozens of opinionated things that you state in your article, and I hope so very much that the Democratic Party heeds your advice. Anything to keep those Big Government vote buying leftists out of power would be a good thing. I'm not much of a fan of the Republicans either, but I'm shelling out too much of my own income in taxes to pay for an enormous government that doesn't seem to protect me well and cares for nothing but keeping themselves in office as long as they can.

As for the war on Iraq, it's easy to criticize the US government while sitting behind your desk in Berkeley. Do you ever think about the same columnists in Iraq who don't share in the same freedom of speech as you have?

Johnny
Via Internet

Promises, Promises

Your article "The Lula Solution" sounds good, but I think you have to remember the Democrats have a poor record of showing up on Election Day. In Brazil people have to vote or pay a fine. So much for democracy. Furthermore I think our country has given up on trying to help the needy because by in large most people feel it is their responsibility to get things done. Let us wait and see how Lula does in Brazil before we start the comparison.

The U.S. is not Brazil and what may work there may not be the best thing for us. I am curious if Lula is going to address the issue of the millions of Brazilians who do not have adequate access to an education. I am from Latin America and it is always interesting to see the promises made by candidates. Our politicians do some of that but never to the level of Latin American countries.

Olivia
Via Internet

Who Does He Thinks He Is?

I am writing this letter in response to the letter sent by Mr. Robert Thomas from Illinois published in the November issue of Brazzil - www.brazzil.com/letnov02.htm  I disagree with Mr. Thomas' remark that Lula would not be able to hold a job at a gas station here in the US. As a matter of fact, I think he would be great as a community leader or something like that, because that is how he started. In addition, Mr. Thomas is fooling himself if he thinks this sort of thing does not happen in the US. Take Jesse Ventura, for instance. Who would have guessed that a wrestler would be elected as governor?

I think that Brazilians should give Lula a chance to show what he is capable of. Criticism does not help if it is not accompanied by solutions. My experience with the PT is actually not bad. When Luíza Erundina from the PT was mayor of São Paulo, education was a lot better than today.

In my opinion, such pessimistic thoughts about Brazil's future can only come from a "non-Brazilian". I'd rather think that things will get better. I have been in the US for three years, and I don't dare making remarks about politics or economics, because I don't think I know enough about this country to do so. I wonder what makes Mr. Thomas think that he knows so much about Brazil.

Andrea Plate
St. Paul, Minnesota

Points Missed

Dear Dr. Borim, I read with interest your recent editorial in Brazzil magazine regarding incoming President Lula ("Left is Right" - www.brazzil.com/p12nov02.htm). As an American, married to a Brazilian and residing in São Paulo for the past 5 years, I consider myself to be fairly well informed when it comes to politics. While I am obviously unable to vote (I retain my American citizenship and simply hold an "RNE" card) I watch from the wings as the political process runs its circuitous course. I enjoyed your perspective, but feel you missed a chance to elaborate upon several important factors. First and foremost, you neglected to point out that Brazilians (more than 100,000,000 of them) are required to vote. Failure to do so is practically a crime, and denies you the right to even apply for work as a public employee (by far the largest employers in Brazil are local, state and federal government entities), the right to apply for a passport and other rights generally accepted as inalienable in most democratic countries worldwide.

Needless to say, the vast majority of this huge electorate sees Lula as "one of us" (read: povão). Here is a guy that has never really had a job, has a 4th grade education and speaks with a lisp. Not exactly the kind of image you expect to see at the world bargaining table. Then again, he is not out to represent the "colonels", the ultra-rich financiers, the concrete magnates or the fazendeiros. He is out to represent the people that have made those men their fortunes, and maybe return a slice of the pie to them, albeit a tiny slice (3 square meals a day).

Secondly, I feel you ought to have pointed out what I felt to be the most important factor in the recent election: the utter lack of a serious opposition candidate. I disagree with you when you state that José Serra was an "excellent" candidate. Even his campaign manager, Nizan Guanaes, stated that he is a man utterly without charisma. As health minister under FHC, he made strides to bring some semblance of humanity to an otherwise overwhelmed ministry, but his achievements end there. I feel that a large portion of the votes that Serra got were not really votes for Serra, but rather votes against Lula.

Lastly, you mention that Lula "convinced upper and middle class leaders of his intellect". Again, I beg to differ. I feel that most of these leaders (Banco Itaú president, Gradiente president et. al.) jumped on the bandwagon with a strictly personal agenda in mind. They simply followed the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy. I probably would have done the same in their position. They have their own interests, and pocketbooks, in mind.

I read recently that Brazil ranks 4th in the world (behind the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, I believe) in socio-economic disparity. Something like 15 percent of the population controls 75 percent of the money here in Brazil. While I am not a leftist by any means, there is something desperately wrong when a land as "rich" as Brazil is on the same level as truly 3rd or 4th world African, misery ridden countries. Maybe, just maybe, Lula can balance the scales a bit to bring Brazil to a more even keel. That's what 60-some million people are betting on.

I will continue to read with interest your comments should they appear in the future.

William Ryan
São Paulo, Brazil
Via Internet

The author responds:

1) You say: "First and foremost, you neglected to point out that Brazilians (more than 100,000,000 of them) are required to vote. Failure to do so is practically a crime, and denies you the right to even apply for work as a public employee (by far the largest employers in Brazil are local, state and federal government entities), the right to apply for a passport and other rights generally accepted as inalienable in most democratic countries worldwide."

I don't agree. If you don't vote, you have two months to justify, and it takes 2 minutes to fill out the short form. If you don't justify, you must go to the TRE (Tribunal Regional Eleitoral), fill out a form and pay a fine of no more than 2 dollars.

2) You say: "Needless to say, the vast majority of this huge electorate sees Lula as 'one of us' (read: 'povão')."

Brazilian "povão" have never ever elected one of them for president in the past. Lula won this time because of major changes in society since the 80s.

3) You said: "Here is a guy that has never really had a job, has a 4th grade education and speaks with a lisp."

A guy with a lisp? Who cares? I don't. Brazilian voters should not and, thank God, they do not. Do you mean Lula has never had a white-collar job? Maybe it would be his advantage and to the country's advantage as well not to.

4) You said: "Even his campaign manager, Nizan Guanaes, stated that he is a man utterly without charisma. As health minister under FHC, he made strides to bring some semblance of humanity to an otherwise overwhelmed ministry, but his achievements end there."

I agree that Serra has no charisma, but other presidents didn't in the past and don't in the present, either. It's hard to win elections that way, but not impossible. However, I insist he was a good candidate.

5) You said: "I feel that a large portion of the votes that Serra got were not really votes for Serra, but rather votes against Lula."

I agree. I have no doubt about that. I believe that that kind voting has much to do with prejudice I spoke about in my editorial and the campaigns made against Lula by the press, especially Rede Globo. I voted, I read history books, and I remembered well.

6) Sorry, but you've quoted me wrongly: "Lastly, you mention that Lula 'convinced upper and middle class leaders of his intellect.' "But I had said: "Lula would never have been elected if he had not convinced upper- and middle-class leaders of every sector of society (including those of industrialists, merchants, investors, intellectuals, artists, white-collar professionals, and the clergy) that he was wise, competent, serious, and hardworking."

7) You said: "I read recently that Brazil ranks 4th in the world (behind the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, I believe) in socio-economic disparity. Something like 15 percent of the population controls 75 percent of the money here in Brazil. While I am not a leftist by any means, there is something desperately wrong when a land as "rich" as Brazil is on the same level as truly 3rd or 4th world African, misery ridden countries. Maybe, just maybe, Lula can balance the scales a bit to bring Brazil to a more even keel. That's what 60-some million people are betting on."

I agree.

Dário Borim Jr.
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Assistant Professor, Portuguese Department

Stolen Goods

Stop taking and give back the land you have already taken from the Indians.

Sean Elliot
Via Internet

Stand Corrected

To the person who made the top fifty Brazilian movies of all times list ("The Best of the Century" - www.brazzil.com/p12oct98.htm), please note that number 39 on the list, Fragmentos da Vida, was made by José Medina AND Gilberto Rossi. If possible, please correct this.

Elena Rossi,
Great Grandaughter of Gilberto Rossi
Pisa, Italy
rossi.elena@tiscalinet.it

Beg to Disagree 100%

Dear Mr. Carvalho, I must say I was somewhat shocked to read your article in Brazzil (Our Enemy, the USA - December 2002). I will preface my comments by saying I am an American living in Brazil for the last two years. I am married to a Brazilian and we both are college educated.

Since I do not have the benefit of your experience in political areas here in Brazil, I will limit my comments to personal knowledge only. People in my circle are friends who are educated, upper level business managers, college professors, as well as college students. I have asked all of them their opinion of your article, and EACH AND EVERYONE is in complete disagreement with your comments.

In my two years here I have never heard one anti American comment. Your comments about September 11th were upsetting to all of them. How could any reasonable person believe that the attack could be justified (even in part).

I live in Bauru and maybe the opinions of less urbanized people are different than those from São Paulo or Rio............but I don't think so. Thank you.

Tom Forbes
An American in Brazil

The author responds:

Dear Mr. Forbes,

Thank you for the remarks you sent to Brazzil. It's not a matter of "agreement" or "disagreement", but a simple matter of fact. When your friends disagree with what I said, they are simply expressing a feeling: they don't like it, that's all. They don't want you to have a bad impression of Brazil. Ask them instead to show you one or two op-ed pieces from the mainstream Brazilian media frankly supporting the US against international pressures. They will find no one.

Ask them to show you one single opinion by a Brazilian military officer pro-US. They will find no one. Ask them to show you one single academic or cultural or military magazine pro-US. They will find no one. Ask them to show you a single TV comment pro-US. There is none.

Instead, I can send you tons of anti-American items from all these sources. I have been trying to oppose them, but I am sure of being the ONLY columnist, in Brazilian press, to do so. Of course there are many pro-American Brazilians: but neither in the media nor in academic circles they have the channels open to express their believes. This is simply a fact, not a matter of assenting or dissenting.

With my best wishes,

Olavo de Carvalho

A Bit of a Mix-up

I would like to respond to the article "Our Enemy, the USA." The author seems to make some gross generalizations about the way Brazil views the US. I think that he has confused debates and comments made by Brazilians as their actual feelings towards the US. Perhaps he should have cited some surveys or conducted some surveys himself to ascertain a more accurate picture.

I have traveled to Brazil on several occasions and I know some Brazilians who reside here in the US. I find that Brazilians are not "anti-American". Sure, some of them are. But guess what? Some Americans themselves make anti American comments against corporations, the military, politicians, etc.

While I don't have a survey myself to show that Brazilians are pro-American. I would bet my paycheck that a survey measuring the US against the other large countries (Russia, China, India, Germany, etc) the US would come out on top. I have been told this by Brazilians. They have told me that the US is viewed as a successful country that provides unparalleled opportunity for it's citizens as well as immigrants.

Brian C.
Via Internet

The author responds:

Of course the reader is quite right: not all Brazilians are anti-American. Brazilian media are. Brazilian political and intellectual leaders are. Most military officers are. Brazilian anti-Americanism is not in the heart of the people, but in the heads of those people Pierre Bourdieu calls "the speaking classes". The problem is that any pro-American opinion has no channels at all to make itself heard in public debate.

With my best wishes,

Olavo de Carvalho

America, the Meddler

Since I have reservations whether this will be read, I won't write much.

"the fight of globalist imperialism for the destruction of national sovereignties is not an American enterprise, being rather anti-American"

Tell that to Panama...or Granada. America has proved time and time again that it is quite willing to disregard the principle of national sovereignty whenever convenient. Likewise, America has deemed it acceptable to meddle in a country's internal politics (as most nations in Latin America and Africa can avow) without great regards to the consequences. America has supported dictatorships that have toppled democratically elected governments to further their own agenda.

Thus while distrust of the US may be overdramatized by the Brazilian media, many countries, Brazil included, have reasons to be cautious regarding US actions and motives.

G Medeiros
Via Internet

The author responds:

Dear friend,

1) Of course you evaluate US external politics by absolute standards instead of judging it by comparison to other international powers. Comparison would show you easily that, among great imperial powers, the US are the LEAST interventionist and the one that respects the most the national sovereignties. Just think about the USSR or, nowadays, China (one million Tibetans dead along the last ten years). It's senseless to put things in terms of a choice between the US imperial policy and an idealized perfect world of peaceful nations. The choice is between the worst and the almost good.

2) America NEVER "supported dictatorships that have toppled democratically elected governments to further their own agenda". It only supported temporary authoritarian regimes in order to avoid communist revolutions that were preparing to install PERMANENT totalitarian regimes (this is specially the case of Brazil, where Cubans were supporting Brazilian guerrillas since 1961, three years before the military anticommunist coup d'état which put an end to that ominous situation). Do you know what happened in Vietnam and its neighbor Cambodia when Americans went home? Three million civilians died under the grips of communist regimes in less than three years. Of course this seems to many people less shocking than US support to anticommunist regimes, as corrupt  as they might be, that tried to avoid such results. "Pacifists" campaigning against US intervention in Vietnam were obviously guilty of genocide, since they surrendered Vietnam and Cambodia to communist mass murderers. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but I don't even believe there were any good intentions in those campaigns, largely manipulated by Soviet and Chinese propaganda.

Wirh my best wishes,

Olavo de Carvalho

Quite Enlightening

Mr. Carvalho,

Thanks for a most illuminating article. I have recently begun to scan the web for foreign news relating to national and world affairs. Reading USA, British, and European news, I am able to stay abreast of what is taking place in North America, Europe, The Middle East, the Orient, and Africa. But I receive scant news about Middle and South America except for Argentina's economic crisis, Brazil's recent presidential election won by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Since the election the world press has for the most part gone silent on events in Brazil. This is unfortunate and I believe a serious omission.

I must say that I am not shocked by the thrust of your article but equally I must say I am surprised at the direct unvarnished powerful intensity of your observations. Your graphic vivid expression of Brazilian attitudes towards the USA are stunning to say the least. I will reread and study your essay, for I consider it important to be informed as to the genuine truths driving international relations and the underpinning attitudes held by the citizens of the respective nations.

Thank you for this most enlightening essay.

R. Armstrong
Via Internet

The author responds:

Thank you for your kind words. You can find more information in English about Brazilian anti-Americanism (and other Brazilian affairs) at my homepage, www.olavodecarvalho.org.

With my best wishes,

Olavo de Carvalho

Civil Wrongs

Dear Carolina, I am surprised that you say in Brazzil - "The War Within" - www.brazzil.com/p06oct02.htm  - that "Amidst so much bad news, the arrest of Maluco was regarded as a success . And it indeed was. The news announced it as the result of a joint action by society, good policemen and the press. The operation involved helicopters, dozens of vehicles, intelligence services, anonymous tips from the population, and more than 250 policemen per shift. The police did not shoot anybody. It was undoubtedly a model to be followed in the future."

Rio governor Benedita da Silva violated the civil rights of over 10,000 people through illegal search and seizure in order to apprehend Maluco. The same blind eye is turned to this as to the two other parts of skeletons that were recovered with Lopez, because the lives of 10,000 moradores das favelas (shantytown dwellers) as well as two former residents don't carry the same weight as that of one Globo journalist.

I think the end of corruption has to start at the top...respecting the Constitution. Despite a wave of support for the PT and one da Silva (Lula), another da Silva (Benedita) lost in the first turn.

Doug Fischer
Via Internet

Top of the World

Having heard about your site from an American friend, I had the curiosity to check it out. I am pleased to tell you how much I have appreciated the wonderful article written by Mr. Roger Burbach about our new President, Mr. Lula da Silva and moral values that must be recovered in our world these days.

Congratulations for the deep analysis and for sharing the magnificent hopes my country is living now. At this moment, there's no better place in the world to be. I hope the rest of the world may learn something of our new views and ways to face dramatic problems.

Neusa Barbosa
Brazilian journalist from São Paulo

The Problem? Crime.

I wonder if you ever heard the story of the Brazilian who died and went to Heaven. When he got there he asked St. Peter why was God so good to Brazil, a land without earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, sleet and ice and more arable land to cultivate than any other nation in the world. St. Peter replied, "Just wait until you see the people we are going to put down there".

If the US and the IMF ceased to exist Brazil would still have the problems it has. In simple terms, it has a corrupt government and has been living beyond its means for years. That has not changed in my life and I am 77. Only their gift from God, or nature if you will, has kept the country from collapsing, that and a people with a great sense of humor and the ability to laugh at themselves.

Presume you saw the cartoon of Christ, disgusted with the election, walking down from Corcovado. I wear that Cristo to remind me I am a Carioca. Surely you know that Brazil can't export to China or India. They are competitors and have a great market in the US. Try selling something to the Chinese. First if they want something they will come to you but want you to finance it. India much the same except for better educated cheap labor.

Companies are closing plants in Mexico because it's so much cheaper and better built in Asia that it more than makes up for the greater distance. I can remember as a 10-year-old kid hearing my dad and some of his American businessmen friends that with inflation at 20 percent Brazil couldn't survive five years—that was over 60 years ago and inflation almost got to that per month.

The greatest problem I see in Brazil is crime. Either the government or the drug lords are going to run the country. I do not have a single relative or friend in Rio that hasn't been "assaltado" robbed at gun point at least once. This has killed the tourist trade. It's getting like Colombia; visiting executives hire bodyguards. It's sad.

It was a Paradise to grow up in the 30's even with a dictator—he was benevolent—the best government for Brazil it's only that they are hard to find. Once Getúlio Vargas became a duly elected President everyone was disappointed, he couldn't do anything—no more decretos (decrees).

A Mexican once told me that Mexico would not begin to change until some child saw his father turn down a bribe. Can you imagine former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliano hired to clean up Mexico City? Hercules at his best couldn't do it.

George Pichel
Dana Point, California

The author replies:

Dear George Pichel,

While California life has certainly improved you as a human being of luxury, I'm glad to see it hasn't wiped out your Brazilian sense of humor. Thank you again for responding and/or reacting to a piece of mine. Neither the content nor tone has changed much from two months ago, but its challenge hasn't faded either.

Best regards,

Norman Madarasz

Try www.submarino.com.br  

I enjoyed the article about Eny Cezarino and the excerpts from the book. I would like to know how I might be able to order the book. There does not seem to be a link to a website where it could be ordered directly from Brazil. Any ideas on how I might be able to get it?

Kenn Agata
Via Internet

No Chance for the Poor

Dear Norman Madarasz, your article "Ready for Lula" - www.brazzil.com/cvrnov02.htm - has been the best written work I've read in a long time about the true facts of Brazil and USA trade differences. As a Brazilian living in the US, I believe that it will take many years for the poor to come out of their suffering. My mother was right, with the rich countries not playing a fair game only the wealthy will surpass the divide between prosperity and poverty.

Thank you.

Caio Valladares
Via Internet

The author responds:

Thank you, Caio, but especially thanks to Brazil and my exceptional wife, Mônica, for having led me to switch my perception southward to north. There can hardly be a solider way to analyze globalization.

Regards,

Norman

Personal Best

Dear Bruce, just like to say how much I enjoyed the interview with Eliane Elias - www.brazzil.com/musoct98.htm  It was scholarly, but very informative and relaxed. I learnt more about Eliane from this than in anything I have read before. I'm a big fan. She's an exquisite pianist and an endearing vocalist. Thanks a lot, Bruce.

Don Emanuel
United Kingdom

Poor but Ingenious

I remember reading about a mayor in Brazil several years ago who with very little money and a lot of imagination took his city and made a place that people wanted to live. For instance, one of the programs was to buy the land surrounding the river that ran through the city and making it a park so that when it flooded it didn't flood out businesses and homes - a flood wall was not in the budget. He then put sheep in the park to keep the grass short.

He did many other things and here is the source of my problem. I think this is a wonderful, inspirational story and I have talked about to my students as a teacher, but I do not remember the mayor's name or the city. It is not quite as inspirational if I do not have the facts to back it up. I thought maybe you had published something on this mayor or could let me know where to find out information on him. I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me.

Bridget Glaser
b.ancalmo@verizon.net

Umbanda Lead

Do you know how many Umbanda temples there are in the US? I only know of three: Santa Cruz, Sebastopol and DC. I'm writing an article about our local temple here in Santa Cruz,

Chelsea
chelseag@cats.ucsc.edu

Long Live the Indians

I just found your information on the web. It's interesting to know that you exist. Am a German-Brazilian who studied at Swiss/German and American schools in the Amazon. Also, my vacation time I used to always spend among the Culina-Madihá Indians (close to the border of Peru). How fantastic it is that Brazilian Indians still exist and that there are those people who admire them and care for them.

Johannes Peter Stoelting
São Paulo, Brazil

Karnak Buff

Dear Bruce, read your wonderful interview with Karnak in Brazzil - www.brazzil.com/musfeb98.htm - it seems from the link that it was recorded in 1998 (shame!). I have purchased (I believe was their first) Karnak CD (Comendo Uva na Chuva) and do not tire of hearing it. Can you please clue me in as to when this band will come on tour of US/New York area? I am also interested in any Brazilian jazz which may play in NYC, so if any website offers comprehensive info, please let me know!

Kris Manek
New York, New York

Caetano Touch

Dear Bruce, what an extraordinarily comprehensive piece you wrote on Caetano in Brazzil.com. I see that he never played the West Coast on the Livro tour & he's not planning to play it on the current tour. Would you happen to know why? I've never had the pleasure of seeing him perform live and I'd love to see him here in Seattle.

Richard
Seattle, Washington

Blowing Towards Olinda

I came across your article "The Winds of Delight" - www.brazzil.com/p41jan02.htm - while doing a search on Carnaval in Olinda. I'm having trouble locating any current information for this years' (2003) Carnaval. Wondering if you could perhaps point me in the right direction. I'm leaning towards Olinda over Rio. Your article has helped out immensely.

Steven McCall
Boulder, Colorado

Those Green-Yellow Eyes

I am a Brazilian girl. I study at an American school. I have read all that is in this site. I am amazed that whoever wrote it first of all wrote Brazil with two z's because Brazil is really written with Z in English and S in Portuguese. I am very proud of my country. I am very patriotic and if you look close inside my eyes you will probably see the colors from our beautiful flag.

Brazil is an example of beauty, culture, and rareness to all countries, all over the world. Walking in Brazil's vast lands you will see differences at each part you go to and that is what makes Brazil special. Brazil has a especial beauty. Rio, São Paulo, Salvador, Fortaleza, Manaus, Belo Horizonte, they each have something to show us. If you have a chance to visit Brazil someday, you will probably not want to leave Brazil anymore.

Natalia
Brazil

Smarty Gringo

How come a Scottish journalist living in Brazil for around 7 years, know all about what's to be a Brazilian? And know all about politics in Brazil living mostly on English-speaking countries (probably) and looking into Brazil thru a "British" eye, even using an English poem to exemplify Brazil's politics, and making pounds thru "real" money? That's amazing,

Alfredo Bispo
Canada

Damned Whatever We Do

Mr. Amaral: I read your article "Our Future is Now" (Brazzil, December 2002) with great interest. I am an American living in the U.S. and I'm not comfortable with the thought of going to war with Iraq. I feel that we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. I believe that if we ignore Saddam we'll be hit with some W.O.M.D. used by Osama or his sympathizers that came from Iraq. If we do invade Iraq we'll probably get the same result. So I really don't know what the right decision is. I do agree that your points on the whole Saudi vs. Afghan threat appear to be right on.

I was in Brazil this year and felt very welcomed on a personal level by all the people I met in Brazil. I also felt uncomfortable with the knowledge of my country's history throughout the region and the world. We tend to go into areas where we don't belong. We also tend to be a bit hypocritical, unfortunately it's my perception that it is more of the human condition than a monopoly of any one nation or political faction

The question remains....What would you have us do? Once again we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. We don't do the isolationist stance very well nor do we do the world's policeman very well either. I do know that since I was a teenager I've always felt that we were on the verge of some great decline, but we somehow manage to lurch from decade to decade still a force on the world stage.

I do hope that Brazil enjoys a rise in their economic power and a subsequent rise in the standard of living of all Brazilians. I'll look forward to your next article.

Edward Hand
Via Internet

Israel's Keeper

Mr. Amaral, although far from new, your analysis is sound. You fail to take into consideration, however, that this will be a war to make the world safer for Jewry. As Saddam claimed that Kuwait was a province of Iraq, the Zionists will claim Iraq as a province of Israel. While Islamic fundamentalism is held as the great "evil", Jewish fundamentalism is given a free pass. In regards to the US defense budget, where do you think Israel comes by its arsenal?

Dawn Quinn
Via Internet

No Money Trail

Mr. Amaral, I found it astonishing that anyone who is obviously literate could have such a short sighted and obviously clouded and maybe ignorant point of view. Why would anyone hold a country as a whole accountable for individuals born of that country committing murder. Or is it your point of view that a country must make all the decisions for its people and there by are responsible for it.

Yes, almost all of the known terrorists were Saudi. To date, no paper trail has been found to connect these terrorists—other than passports and birth certificates—to Saudi Arabia. No direct funding has been found to lead back to Saudi Arabia. We have found direct evidence to Al Qaeda and the Taliban government of Afghanistan. We have found money trails, planning documents, communications, etc, that link directly to Osama Bin Laden. Yet you would have us hold Saudi Arabia accountable.

Craig Pannell
Via Internet

Cheers and Help

Dear, Ricardo Amaral, your article ("The Big American Lie" - www.brazzil.com/p40nov02.htm) in the November Brazzil magazine, as usual, was very interesting. I found this link about a bill introduced to the house by D DeFazio D Or. These derivatives are scary. But we have survived the collapse of Barings and California's Orange County and Long Term Capital Mgt.

The unemployment rate reported for San Diego is about 4.2 percent, which even if doubled seems better than your estimate of the New York area. Try looking for a job out here. I went to a Caetano Veloso concert a couple of weeks ago and it seems that by the turnout there are quite a few Brazilians around here. Good luck.

Paul Diebel
San Diego, California

Shallow and Irresponsible

I am surprised with your article "You're Hired!" from January 2001-  http://www.brazzil.com/p35jan01.htm. Benjamin Googins can be teaching in Brazil but certainly does not value or honor this profession. This talk about any American being able to teach English is ridiculous; if so why would exist such place called "university" and the area called "letters" or "applied linguistics", "didactics" and so far?

Moreover, how could the magazine endorse such a view?! Imagine if any person decided to build houses just because they have seen it somewhere, or if suddenly a person decides to perform a surgery just because they have opened dead frogs in high school or watched ER every week? Even though many private English schools do hire unprepared teachers just by the fact they are native speakers of English, it certainly does not happen in renowned English schools such as Cultura Inglesa or Alumini, and many other schools which understand that education is not a business.

Also, his encouraging Americans to work in Brazil illegally is at least irresponsible to such a high content magazine as Brazzil to publish. I have been a teacher of English in Brazil and in Boston for some years now and I felt it almost unbelievable to see such an irresponsible, superficial and biased article to be in your magazine.

I hope next time the magazine wants to have an article on teaching English in Brazil, you will all make sure who writes the article is really a teacher in all the senses of the word.

Sonia Melo de Jesus
Brazilian Fulbright Fellow
Framingham Public Schools
3rd Grade - Bilingual teacher

Don't Spit on Plate That Feeds You

I would like to send you my comments about the article "The Big American Lie" written by Ricardo C. Amaral - www.brazzil.com/p40nov02.htm.  I agree with some of Ricardo's comments about the internal American policies towards the war on terror. However, I don't agree with his comments towards the illegal aliens. Maybe we are living in two different US.

NOBODY should get into any country illegally. It's a criminal act. Even though people are not killing in some cases, it's still a crime to jump into another country's border. If you invade your neighbor's apartment most likely you will end up in jail. That's the same for illegal aliens everywhere. Whatever the reason is that may lead people to do such thing, it's risky and they know it. But, we don't live in a perfect world, do we? So, we have illegal aliens.

I am Brazilian, I am a LEGAL alien here in the US and I live in Texas. We have so many illegal immigrants here that the Census will never be sure about the millions of people living in the US.

These illegal immigrants have free medical care, get jobs and pay NO taxes, get driver's license and drive without insurance! How does it happen? Well, I guess if the American policy against illegal immigrants were so tough, those things would not be happening and we would not have more people trying to sneak into US every day. See the latest news about more than 200 illegal Haitian migrants running ashore in Miami and all the mess that is coming behind it about human rights, Cubans, etc...

My husband's uncle got into a car accident with a man who was an illegal alien. The Police arrived and did nothing about it. They checked to see if somebody was hurt and let the illegal immigrant go. They didn't arrest him, charge him with anything, and my husband's uncle was the one who had to pay for his car to be fixed. Note: the car accident happened because the illegal alien did not read English and could not understand the signs!

Obviously, the jobs that an illegal alien gets here are not the best. It is commonly said that illegal aliens do the work that Americans do not want to do. Illegal aliens are underpaid. However, these illegal aliens do NOT pay taxes either. If they get sick, they just run to the closest ER, get in the line together with the taxpayers and get free medical care! I am a nurse. I know what I am talking about.

Some of their bills are so outrageous that I am surprised we still have some health care in this country. Congress should relieve the taxpayers and paying-patients of the burden of providing hospital care for illegal aliens. This situation is getting so serious that everybody in America, legal or illegal, will end up with no health care at all! If it doesn't change, the American health care system will go bankrupt!

Let's be honest. What somebody who gets into a country illegally can expect? Fear of being arrested and deported? Well, this is part of the game! Any illegal alien knows that it can happen with or without terrorist attacks! The least that the person can do for himself/herself before landing illegally into any country in the world is to learn some basic things in the language of that country. You can't come illegally into the US or any other country for that matter and expect people to greet you with a red carpet, in your language.

Americans did not overreact to September 11. Americans reacted as any citizen from any other country around the world would react facing such tragedy. The economy was affected, but again, why American economy should be held responsible for giving jobs to illegal aliens? If New Jersey has less jobs to offer for whatever reason, I guess it's time for illegal aliens and those who are not satisfied with the situation to go home! Nobody is forcing them to stay! If illegal aliens don't speak English, it is sad, but it's their problem and not the US problem. They have no money to buy the tickets? Well, go to the closest INS and turn yourself in. The INS would deport the illegal alien for free! If the economy is so bad, if the United States is so full of illusions why immigrants are still sticking around?

If you live here in the US, you should not spit in the plate that you eat from. If you stick around it's because you still benefit from it somehow. The US has been a country of opportunities. The US doesn't promise anybody success. Whoever comes to live here has to understand it. The US has its social problems as any other country. There is no paradise on Earth. The majority of illegal aliens have opportunities here. Unfortunately, immigration has been part of a political game and very little has been done to enforce the laws on it. The recent sniper case has an illegal alien participating on the shootings: John Lee Malvo, from Jamaica.

I think illegal aliens deserve to be treated as human beings because most of them really look for a better life. No torture, no starvation, no abuses. However, as far as illegal aliens being held by the law enforcement for investigation related to September 11 or any other crime, it's perfectly fair. They broke the law when they stayed illegally. They are offenders to not say criminals. Their character (as anybody else's character) is not written on the forehead. It's understandable that the American Government has passed this law. They needed to be careful because many illegal aliens carry no documentation. It takes time to search and research and finally get an answer, when you get an answer.

If illegal aliens don't want to be arrested, deported, and lose everything they conquered here with hard work, dedication and sacrifice, they should not come in illegally. Because when they do it, they also lose their rights. Brazil would not act differently. If September 11 had happened in Brazil, the reactions would not be different and the government measures would be similar. However, Brazil is still a peaceful country. The time will come that Brazil will have money and power and it remains to be seen how better than Americans Brazilians will be about the illegal aliens invading its border.

I hope to be alive to witness it.

Katia Sims
Via Internet

Melgaço's Sound

Do you know Brazilian singer and musician Otacílio Melgaço? Like Chet Baker and João Gilberto, his work is divine and telluric. Please, write about him... His site is http://www.buritidosgerais.hpg.ig.com.br 

Ivana Almeida
Via Internet

Thanks for the Skies

"Romancing the Skies" in Brazzil's October 2002 issue — www.brazzil.com/cvroct02.htm.  This was a very interesting article. I thank you for writing it and posting it on the Web. Sometime in the near future I would like to link to it from our web site www.1000planets.com

John Wayne Smith
CEO www.1000Planets.com

I Want a Fila

I want a Fila puppy. I hope you can help me. Ever since I saw a Fila I have wanted a Fila. This is my dream, to have a great dog like this. Please, call me any time. It is never too late.

Samuel Johnson
samueljohnson33@hotmail.com

Looking for Senna

I am the president of Cunina, a Belgian, humanitarian development organization, without political or religious affiliations. It was founded in 1990 and participates in the development of a system of wealth re-distribution around the world. Cunina puts children first. A child that can develop today, will be independent tomorrow and can help others on their way to emancipation. We have projects in Brazil with Belgian and Brazilian coordinators in Rio and São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Januária.

As a big Senna fan, I would really like to pay a visit to the Ayrton Senna Foundation next February (2003) when I am in Brazil to visit the Cunina-projects. I also would like to go to his grave. Could you please give me some more information how to get in touch with the Foundation, please. If you want to check Cunina in the Internet, please do so: www.cunina.org.  Thank you in advance.

Sophie Vangheel
cunina@planetinternet.be

Charmed by Benedita

Dear Brazzil, I would like to thank you for your coverage of current issues in Brazil. Had it not been for you, I would have never stumbled upon Benedita da Silva. I recently presented Benedita in my revolution class here at MTSU. The other students were amazed to learn about her, and about the state of Brazil as well.

Monte Hendrickson
Nashville, Tennessee

To Live and Work in Rio

I am interested in any opportunities to teach English or working in Rio. I do not have a command of the Portuguese language at present. I lived in Portugal for two years as a teenager but was schooled with other American children. I have been to Brazil on a couple of occasions including living three months in the Amazonias and two trips to Rio where I have made many friends and have an opportunity to live for an extended period of time.

I am currently investigating the possibilities for work in New York for a Brazilian friend who is an excellent dentist and would like to work here. I hold a license to practice as a registered nurse in New York state and I have certification as a massage therapist, including reflexology. I have received additional certification as a Cranio-sacral therapist.

My outside interests is in art and have worked in several mediums, oils, watercolor, as well as sculpting and wood carving. I would be willing to work in whatever capacity in order to engage the culture and its people in a deeper and more meaningful way. I could send a resume upon request both in the field of health care and art. While working in a private school in my area, I was involved in a program with school children using the Internet and their art work to share in cultural exchange, to give you a sense of where my interests are.

Barbara Hannawalt
gatewood@usadatanet.net 

Where's Lorenzo?

Please forward this message to José Lorenzo (founder of Batucajé) or to persons who may know him or know how to contact him. After moving to New York City, I lost contact with José. He then lived and worked in the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley...etc). That was a long, long time ago. If you have any ideas where or how I might contact José, please let me know.

Cecil

Dear Brother José,

it's been a LONG, LONG time!!

I ran across mention of your name in the rec.music.brazilian group and elsewhere on the Web...and took this as some sort of divine urging...I felt I should try to touch base with you.

I hope by some miracle this reaches you. I will keep this short, until we talk. Please fill me in on our old friends Victor & Jeannette Heady (African Art resarchers/promoters of Nigerian Oshogbo art), Art Monroe (Black painter/artist), Sister Ife, Sister Riua, et al. The list is long. Would love to know how some of our mutual friends are doing.

I was able to do a lot of travel in Africa in six trips (including to 20 countries) that I made since I last saw you. This was my dream come true!

I will tell you about my visit with Abdul M'Rabet in Morocco—I hope you have managed to stay in touch with him. When you stayed with us on 60th St. in Oakland (back in the mid 70's), Abdul had hoped someday you and your entourage would come to Casablanca to do a concert, or to hold a workshop.

PEACE, my Brother! Talk to you soon.

Cecil

Cecil Washington ("Omowale")
Alumn - UC Berkeley
Lynwood, California
cecil.washington@juno.com 
cecil@yahoogroups.com  

Try Our Forum -

I'd like to know how do Brazilians celebrate birthdays. I'm a Mexican student and my teacher asked us this information. Please help me. I will thank you if you answer me

Itzel
dmev_daniela@hotmail.com

United States of Brazil

Congratulations to Brazil. The idea of a Continental Plebiscite is a good one. North Americans in the 1780's had such a plebiscite when they adopted the US Constitution. The Constitution was adopted by "We the People", not the States or the Government but by the People. The Purposes of the Government were laid out in the Preamble:

"We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Our Constitution is not perfect, but is has provided a framework by which the United States has fostered internally the working together of 50 states spread across the North American Continent. Since that time, no other group or country has been wise enough to do something similar.

Africans should have adopted the US Constitution in the 1950's. Brazil should do it now! They should lead a continental plebiscite to adopt the US Constitution, as is. Learn to work with it for a decade and then consider amendments to improve it.

I recommend that the leaders of Brazil read George Washington's Farewell Address as a guide to government. The success of America owes a lot to the Founding Fathers' Wisdom in crafting the checks and balances in the Constitution, and the wise policy laid out in Washington's Farewell Address.

Good Luck.

Wardell Lindsay
Via Internet

Oh, So Hospitable Brazil

What about the US $60 fee to obtain a visa? This is unique to Brazil; that is only misplaced pride and very unproductive.

Remy Obas
Via Internet

BN Bonkers

I am seeking bossa nova memorabilia...in the form of video. I am particularly interested in Bonfá, Nogueira and Reis. I have one of the largest collections around...with 250 original LP's and 37 videos that have 58 hours of bossa nova coverage.....I can trade or will pay dearly for available videos. Thanks!

Bill Dee
bossanovaman@qwest.net  

Parrot Land

Estou lendo um livro escrito pelo inglês Anthony Smith, que já escreveu outros livros sobre o Brasil. Este é chamado "Explorers of the Amazon".

O que ele diz é que Cabral foi importante apenas no Brasil mas não no resto do mundo e que ele nunca soube que tinha estado na costa de um novo continente. O livro diz que os espanhóis Ojeda 1499-1500, Pinzon 1499, Vespucci (italiano) 1499-1500 e De Lepe 1499 todos encontraram a costa do norte do Brasil antes de Cabral, mas Cabral velejando a rota ditada por Vasco da Gama encontrou a costa mais para o sul.

Todo marinheiro sabe que com barcos à vela especialmente os antigos tinham que "tack" virar de bordo e assim velejar a Oeste para ir para o fim da África. Tambem interresante para mim, Cabral queria chamar a terra Vera Cruz, mas o rei de Portugal queria chamá-la Terra de Santa Cruz, e os marinheiros chamavam de Terra de Papagaio e depois só Papaga.

O nome Brazil aparecia em um mapa feito oito anos antes da viagem de Colombo e era para uma ilha a oeste da Irlanda. Em todo caso, o livro é interresante. Eu só sabia que Cabral descobriu o Brasil três dias antes de Carnaval.

George Pichel
gpichel@cox.net

Baloney Festival

Sou leitor assíduo de Brazzil.com, mas não posso comprender como vocês publicam a enormidade de besteiras contidas no artigo do tal Huascar Terra do Valle ("Turning Red" - www.brazzil.com/p37nov02.htm)

Henylson C. Botelho
Via Internet

Where's Veríssimo?

Estou há muito tempo à procura do livro Incidente em Antares do autor Érico Veríssimo, em uma versão em inglês. Sabe me dizer onde posso encontrá-la?

Alexandre Farias Lango
alexfarias@hotmail.com

Think Big!

Gostaria de saber quem escreveu esse texto ridículo, que oscila entre o infantilóide e o pseudo-bíblico? Será que essa pessoa não percebe que Lula não é nem um ingênuo, que não sabe das responsabilidades com que terá de arcar? Lula é, isso sim, um dos maiores negociadores da história do Brasil: conseguiu juntar em favor de sua candidatura obviamente de esquerda, diversos nomes representativos da direita brasileira e do empresariado. Nao é nenhum despreparado, uma vez que é, e sempre foi, líder do partido que mais cresce no Brasil e que agora é, quiçá, o mais importante do país.

Na verdade, Lula representa uma resposta do povo à desigualdade social no país, que é verdadeiramente escandalosa, além de obviamente contraproducente. Joaquim Nabuco já assinalava que a única forma de termos um país forte é termos um povo igualmente forte, educado, e que represente um grande mercado consumidor. Pensar de outra forma é pensar pequeno, e não dar ao povo brasileiro a capacidade de ser grande.

Gabriel Improta Franca
Los Angeles, California

Cursing Course

Gostei demais da sua página sobre palavrões. ("Dirty Trick - All the dirty words you knew existed, but didn't know where to find" www.brazzil.com/blamay98.htm). Quer enriquecer seu vocabulário, agora em francês? Veja: PIP — Dicionário de Provérbios, Idiomatismos e Palavrões francês-português/português-francês das autoras Claudia Xatara e Wanda Leonardo de Oliveira

Outro autor que trabalha (literariamente, não em dicionário ou glossário) com esse campo lexical é o Glauco Mattoso. Os livros dele não são fáceis de encontrar, mas acho que interessariam à Brazzil.

Abraços e parabéns pelo trabalho.

Mirian Paglia Costa
Brazil, Via Internet