My hat comes off to the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro for his recent lead in the opinion polls which could be a commemoration of happiness, but is more like an annoyance in that the gunpowder plot merchant has convinced so many people that he knows what he is doing by blowing his trumpet.
The Gunpowder Plot is the name given to the conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London on 5 November 1605, which was discovered the night before. According to historians, Guy Fawkes wasn't an anarchist. He was in on the plot because he wanted to overthrow the more liberal protestant government and install an authoritarian one. Ring, ring! Certainly, it rings a bell with Bolsonaro’s pushy ways.
Donald Trump used to blow his trumpet, and in the case of the United States Capitol riots that occurred when Trump lost the election on January 6th 2021, all hell broke loose. That event was the embodiment of supporters that flocked upon the chance to show their discontent for losing battle.
One of his admirers, Bolsonaro also likes to blow his trumpet similarly. The following examples of his trumpet blowing techniques are directly tied into his overall attempt to be reelected a second time around. The real problem is the multitude who support him fanatically, and those who think he is going to do a better job than Lula, an ex-two-term in office president who got pretty good growth rates.
Lula (PT) held office from 2003 until 2010. Then Dilma (PT) became president from 2011 until 2016 when she was ousted for doctoring the budget. Later on, she was impeached. Lula was blamed for his bribe taking and was eventually taken down. Sergio Moro, a budding lawyer from Curitiba, managed to have Lula tried and convicted to prison where he stayed for 18 months. All of a sudden, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) gave him his freedom and now he’s back on the campaign for president.
Most of Brazil’s A and B class citizens are rooting for Bolsonaro, a far-right conservative known as the captain. He was an unlikely contender as president in 2018, but with a lack of president material Bolsonaro rose as favorite, and then was knifed, and his popularity rose even higher. Elected that year he had a boisterous first 4-year-term attacking the STF, and elected judges like Alexandre Moraes, a magistrate given the position by former interim president Michel Temer.
Bolsonaro rose to power as one of us personalities according to supporters who believe he’s a genuine down to earth individual. Personally, I wouldn’t go along those lines after seeing the way he handled the coronavirus pandemic. His defiant approach upset the flow of caution recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Then he challenged his health minister, firing him over the WHO lockdown scheme, and told the population to ignore staying at home, and to go about their business, as he couldn’t see any other way than to carry on even if the health risk existed.
The bottom line is he challenged authority, going against the constitution while unconstitutional madness is a breach of democracy which annihilates democratic rule and everything Brazil is trying to follow. He specializes in telling lies, as every time he sees an opportunity to take credit for something new in Brazil, he brags about how he is behind it. A few examples are noted below.
PIX – is a new instant payment system from the Brazilian Central Bank. Paying with Pix is quick and easy: users simply scan a QR code or use the receiver's Pix key. Payment is confirmed instantly, which means the amount becomes available in your account in under 10 seconds. The idea of PIX was first conceived some 20 years ago. However, as it was launched during Bolsonaro’s reign, he thinks it prudent to take the credit. Other countries like the UK have their own Faster Payment system as well.
Another one is how he invented his poor person’s (Emergency auxiliary) monthly supplemental package which in reality was envisaged when the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020. He was under pressure to help his people, so eventually had around US$500,00 total given out over the last nine months. A measly amount of around US$100.00 for 5 months instead of nine. Then the following year reduced it to half as little and even then, those in need started receiving it months into 2021. Bottom line is Brazil’s congress also held up the decision to pay out. A complete shambles, if you ask me!
According to most of my friends, Bolsonaro fanatics who think the sun shines out of his backside, he is the best option for Brazilian politics. I’m not so sure, as he once threatened to clean up and torture folk while killing approximately 30,000 people in the process. As I can’t vote, I’ll have to settle for who is elected. Only days to go for the second vote to be staged on October 30th.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Pushy (adj) = forceful, aggressive, loud-mouthed, insistent, nervy
Embodiment (n) = example, epitome, expression, personification, byword i.e., perfect example
PT (acronym) = Partida Trabalhista (Labor party)
Budding (adj) = promising, up-and-coming, growing
Boisterous (adj) = energetic, lively, active, animated, rowdy, unruly, noisy
Struck (v) = hit, collide with, crash into, smash into
Shambles (n) = fiascos, muddle up, messes, disasters
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