How serious is Brazil?
Sílvio Ribas - Jornalista
Journalist, publicist, parliamentary assistant, writer, biographer, ghost writer, political strategist, and institutional consultant
By Sílvio Ribas
French general Charles de Gaulle visited Rio de Janeiro in 1964. On leaving, he supposedly would have said an emblematic phrase that stigmatizes Brazil until today: “This is not a serious country”. His comment is associated with the dispute between the two nations for lobster fishing off the Brazilian coast, an episode full of folk stories.
More than Carnival (a national party full of joy), the usual informality of its people and the constant way of finding solutions in improvising suggest the impression of widespread irresponsibility. Observers and experts see this anarchy as a special advantage for this great country. Brazilian flexibility and creativity permit us to find solutions and avoid conflicts.
The feeling of laxity, the weak commitment to agreements and to the planning of future goals reinforce the image of a country that is not serious. Government, institutions and ordinary citizens accept, on certain occasions, the abandonment of promises. Laws are constantly changed, so uncertainty and instability prevail.
For so long, we deplore these types of situations that persist in Brazilian History. Decision made by leaders or common people result in terrible situations.
One example, most of the commodities produced in the field are transported to the ports by trucks on the roads, and not by rail, costing more and favoring accidents. Confessed murderers are roaming free while wating for trial. Only half of the population is served by water and sewage services, exposing another 110 million people to various types of diseases. Civil service workers earn on average ten times more than employees in the private sector. Well, this is not a serious country.
Brazil’s future is bright but its hard to know exactly when the deserved brightness will take place. The reasoning behind that thought is why this country has all it needs to be successful. If we do not start planning a path that guarantee a sustainable economy growth and institutional strength, our problems will be so much greater than we dare imagine. And it would not be funny.