MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
British Deputy PM Clegg describes Brazil as an “environmental super-power”
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg praised Brazil as an “environmental super-power” underlining the country’s leadership in areas such as renewable energies which he described as one of the pillars of the ‘green economy’ for a more sustainable world. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules”But in spite of the display, Martin Raven former UK Consul General in Sao Paulo in a piece with BBC says “British business has taken a long time to take Brazil seriously”. Mr. Raven recalls that the most common phrase he heard from visiting British business people was “I had no idea!”
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 05:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0British living in nutshell while only watching their bellies.
The world had left them behind since long time ago.
Look at what that Raven guy wrote on BBC:
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 06:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0“there have also been disappointments with both Nick Clegg and William Hague cancelling visits earlier this year at short notice, which naturally disappointed the Brazilians.”
A week after William Hague officially declared support for Brazil's bid to the SC, Brazil proceeded to support Argentinian claims to a number of islands such as S. Georgia and the Sandwich Islands on which it had before remained silent. A major expression of indifference towards the UK.
Britain should start to see itself more humbly. Nobody cares what it says, thinks or does up here.
Actually TIT I think you are 'down there'..... all a matter of perspective perhaps.
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 06:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0Mind you we can happily support Brazil for a seat on the SC because we know that it's never going to happen. There is no way that China, Russia or the U.S. are going to dilute their influence.
Whether you care about our opinion or not, remember ... it the UK that's 'up there', not Brazil :-)
Yes, that's the UK that is up there. For example, in indebtness levels. External debt of 400% of GDP, we're never going to get that high in the following decades! RH, the fact alone that your country is trying to forge new trade or political partnerships is a proof that it is not as up there as you seem to believe.
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 07:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0As for the UN, whether or not there will be a reform is of little importance to my argument. What matters is that the Brazilian leadership believes there's a possbility that it can happen, otherwise it wouldn't lose its time advocating for that or wasting money in aid for poorer countries. And yet, Brazil snubbed the UK support it previously received by conceding more and more support for Argentinian claims over UK territories in the South Atlantic. That tells a lot how up there we believe you are.
@Forgetit87
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 07:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0British are like sharks that go blind to get a share of flesh when they smell blood.
Where was UK before Brazil becomes an economic power?
Simply UK was ignoring Brazil and underestimating Brazil and any other country like they have done always in history.
Now that they are in the economic mess they think that they can cheat countries using nice words as if these countries were stupid.
The British should never have to be trusted, if them bomb you, robbed you, or don’t ever paid, you have to forget them, they say well was just a thing of the past never mind, let’s see to the future, etc.
But if you have a inconvenience to pay them they send the Royal Army to know your door as they have done with Venezuela in the past.
Now lets see how British have acting toward Brazil in the past shall we?
British ruined the rubber business of Brazil in the past by stealing seeds from Brazil to plant them in their colonies in Malaysia, Africa and elsewhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wickham
With friends like this who needs enemies?
On the Telegraph I read that Clegg will emphasize an 'old friendship' between UK and Brazil. By that I think he means to the time in which the UK got to boss around things in the S. Atlantic (the British imperial nostalgia that won't die away!). The UK was in fact such a good friend to us, that in 1863 king Pedro II - for the most part an entreguista who was more than happy to accept a subordinate relationship with the powers that be - decided to cut diplomatic relations with the British.
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 08:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0Of course 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'. Will Brazil want to play or not? We will see.
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 09:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0@4 Forgetit87,
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 09:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0“claims over UK territories in the South Atlantic”! thats correct, “UK territories”
So you admit the territories belong to the UK?
Thank you for that Forgetit87, nice to see the truth being spoken.
Is Argentina hanging on the coat tails of Brazil again? Yes, Brazil is doing very well but that is NOT Argentina. Brazil is an emerging economic power but that is NOT Argentina.
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 03:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Tell me about the wonderful economy of Argentina and how it will be one of the emerging economic powers, or not.
(9) ElaineB
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 05:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This article is about Brazil.
Young Forgetit87 is Brazilian.
Why should he tell you about the wonderful economy of Argentina and how it will be one of the emerging economic powers ?
@10 welcome back brother. I thought the “tripe A” and the spirit of Lopez Rega got a hold of you ... and since when? do we stick to the subject in this forum??
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 05:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@ElaineB
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 10:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let me see...
Brazil’s economy has the size of the UK’s economy.
UK $ 2,173 trillions
Brazil $ 2,172 trillions
And this year will take over Britain and send it to the 9 position in the world.
“Houston, we've had a problem here” can you hear me?
Brasil will continue to 'emerge' but perhaps not as a World Power.
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 10:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As each month goes by it falls further and further behind China and India.
These countries *today* have millions of graduate-educated individuals focussed on the further economic development of their countries.
Brasil has a poor-third-world education system and a poor graduate quality output; there are vey few Brasilian universities with quality outputs comparable to the first world.
Brasil's secondary education system is woeful and significantly worse than its bad primary sector.
It will take at least two further generations before education standards are up to OECD first world standard, and arguably longer to produce a national graduate feed-through to a *national* industrial & commercial base - and in this period the curves of the developed world, India and China will continue to diverge away from Brasil's curve.
In terms of industrial goods production, Brasil's home-grown industry is woeful, its technical skills training - especially in the North East - is way short of the needs of modern high-tech., and the quality of its output does not match that of the same products imported from first world sources.
A whole national skills infrastructure is remarkable for its absence.
Brasil cannot become first world by exporting raw materials anf food, and by the setting up of foreign companies on Brasilian soil.
China and India sent millions of its best young people to graduate through the best universities across the world; not so Brasil.
Sometime, Brasil will need to bite the bullet and educate its people.
I can clearly see your attempt to provoke me, Geoff. Did it hurt you what I said about the UK, that it has no real power to impact Brazil's policies in LatAm as the British are trying to do?
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 11:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No wonder that China and India are forming millions of skilled workers, genius. That's one of the advantages of having over 1 billion residents. If you compare how many engineers, for example, are formed in each country as a percentage of their populations, you'll see that, whilst CN has a slight edge, there are no noticeable differences between BR and IN.
As you probably know, BR's one of the countries that has best improved its scores on the PISA, an international standardized test promoted by the OECD. The Economist has estimated that, if BR can keep advancing during this decade as fast as it did during the previous one, it'll close its gap with the OECD average by the end of this decade, that is, in less than a generation. I can post the article's link here if you want me to. Will it “take at least two further generations before education standards are up to OECD first world standard”? As usual, you're talking out of your ass and pretending to know about something you has no real knowledge of. IN, which you laudate, on the other hand, does have a poor educational system, and one that is not even improving. Again, I can also cite my sources. Can you?
@10. My bad and apologies. : )
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 11:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0*you have
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 11:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As for BR production, you should know that the edge resources currently enjoy over manufactured goods have little to do with the quality of BR industrial infrastructure but instead with other macro and microeconomic factors: namely, an overvalued currency, high tax on manufactured exports, and the abscence of export promotion policies. Before the currency's value started to climb in 2007, 55% of BR exports were manufactured goods (12% of which were high-tech, as compared to 6% of Indian manufacture exports). And even today, manufactures make up about 40% of total exports. In comparion, only 15% of Australia's exports are manufactures - a proof that a country can still develop even if they're not big exporters of manufactures (see also Norway). That happens when value-added sectors can flourish at the back of a large domestic market (which BR has) or when productivity is enhanced by other factors. For what leads to development is not exporting manufactures goods alone - it is simplistic to believe this is so - but productivity. Productivity is enhanced by higher levels of scientific research, and the need for research itself creates a demand for more high-end jobs. That's how countries become developed, that's how Australia has become a developed nation even it if exports mainly beef and coal, while Malaysia and Thailand, which export many high-tech goods, are still underdeveloped. You should know that even BR commodities sector is highly value added as it's heavy in research. Embrapa scientific facilities have much to do with the fact that BR's agriculture is the world's most productive, and Petrobrás is itself a main producer of technological innovation in oil drilling technologies.
I thought Geoff was living in Brazil too?
Jun 22nd, 2011 - 11:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And finally, Geoff, you know that I am all about closing certain sectors of Brazil's market to foreign investment (I doubt you'd agree with me here). It is necessary to establish market shares for national production for most foreign multinationals don't do much in terms of creating demand for high value added jobs. Moreover, they can be a burden for any country's balance of payments. Nonetheless, you should know - and I prove this in the link below - that most foreign enterprises setting up in the country are not introducing any new form of production. They are instead taking over EXISTING national assets. See this on China's investment: http://economia.ig.com.br/investimentos+chineses+no+brasil+superam+r+48+bilhoes/n1300015150725.html
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 12:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0The same happened with US and European investment in the 90s. They didn't create Brazilian industries, in which case it is ridiculous to speak of foreign independence. Instead, they took over industrial assets that had been developed by developmentalist-minded governments in the previous decades, specially by the military regime.
@Redh0yt
He may live in the country but he is still British with a superficial understanding of the country he's settled in.
Nice to see you responding so forcefully, however divergent your opinion.
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 01:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0You have been lately joining the lunatic fringe of posters; necessary to bring you back to the real world.
Some good points but much you say is wide of the mark.
Re #14: I recruited undergrads and grads for UK unis from across the world for years I do know a bit about education, the systems, and their strengths & weaknesses. Your argument on % graduates is poor wherever there is insufficient production of quality graduates to power the economy (example: Brasil engineering shortfall). OECD score improvement is most possible if you come from such a low base and all others around your score are dislocated societies; stabilised developed societies have much less scope - simple math.
It took China two generations, 30 years, can Brasil do it in less? I think not.
“I can also cite my sources. Can you?” - Yes, and I am one of them.
Re #16: High tech -v - raw materials export as a route to Development:
comparing product for product from Brasil and eg Germany, there are big differences in quality, life cycle development and after-sales support, etc.
Some translocated developed nations like Aus. can build an independent economy on secondarily developed raw materials export, but have no doubt, they started as developed nations transposed from the UK.
R&D is good in places - agrosci. & (recently) deep-drilling technology largely learned from Statoil, Nor.; but the R&D needs to be across the piece, since many basic trades eg. shoes & clothing have been shot by Chinese productivity through more modern industrialised processes.
Re #18: Absent or undeveloped industries were replaced by imported industries (eg cars); the trick was to suck dry the introduced technologies and production methodologies and then do it better and do it Brasilian. but Brasil never did it. Foreign companies simply do it better and outcompete.
Brasil CAN do it, but it needs a total change in the paradigm of Brasil's leaderships.
“ ... he is still British with a superficial understanding of the country he's settled in....”
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 03:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0“ ... Oh wad some power the giftie gie us. To see oursel's as others see us! ...” Robbie Burns 1786
And the winner in education is.... USA
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 11:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0Enjoy it and laugh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANTDkfkoBaI
First world education style ha ha
: )
@Geoff
So according with you Brazil lack of education but despite of that Brazil takes over UK and displaced it to the 9 position. Ummm...
So what is your explanation about this situation?
Is that Britain has less education than Brazil may be?
Nico, @ #21.
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 11:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0It needs just a small number of people with education and skills to extract large amounts of agro-industrial food and metalliferous ores, thereby winning large incomes (for the country).
But to educate and train a nation's total workforce to manage and operate nationwide a first-world integrated industrial and post-industrial economy needs something else again.
Expanding the proportion of high-income, high-taxpayers in the working population produces the economic virtuous circle. Remaining a low personal income country and we still can't compete against China.
Though the Brasilian taxation system is palpably the most technologically developed part of the federal admin. structure, it is balanced by a most remarkable level of tax avoidance - thus the monies for development available through taxation is off an unsustainably small % ot the workforce and is much less than it 'should be'.
“Is that Britain has less education than Brazil may be?”
Quite the reverse.
UK state education is nowhere near as good as it once was, but it remains streets ahead of Brasilian state education.
UK private education (a significant % of total education) is truely excellent, and fills the great British universities with highly prepared undergrad populations each year.
But the total numbers of British graduates are, of course, a drop in the ocean compared to China, the USA and India.
Dim - you are totally outclassed, so give it up!
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 02:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Some of the Argies on here are obviously complete tits.
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 06:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0How can anybody blame Cameron for telling them to bugger off.
BTW how is our oil exploration getting on? When do we expect to start bringing ashore our South Atlantic black gold?
Brasil - an 'Environmental super-power' that is destroying more virgin rain forest under its new Presidenta than under many previous years of the previous prancing fool.
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 09:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Seems we have to choose between the fool and the destroyer.
1 - Geoff, see what you said on another thread on environmental issues some time ago:
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 10:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I have spent my life as an applied environmental scientist.”
Now you use your academic background to comment on the quality of university graduates, and on engineering courses. What is it that really you do, Geoff? And will you keep adding new items to your curriculum whenever you want to pose as an specialist on whatever issue you're commenting? Obviously I won't accept this pretentiousness of yours. Either cite your sources or I'll believe that you're inventing figures to fit your agenda. It's dishonest to demand in a debate that people simply believe in you, whatever your background is. Commence by showing that it'll take two generations for BR to close its basic educational gap with the OECD. I have reasons to doubt your “vast knowledges” considering my other discussions with you, and how often you've been debunked or were plain unable to back up your opinions (just see your embarassing comments on economics).
2 - How was AUSs status as a developed country transposed by the UK? How does that work? And explain too how, if development is so dependent on exports of manufactures, nations such as NO or IS, whose life standards are among the highest in the world, aren't exporters of manufactures. NOs economy is very dependent on gas and oil revenues; and ISs, on the fishing industry. As for Petrobrás and Statoil, their partnership between goes back to 2006, while Petrobrás R&D program, the Cenpes, is already some decades old (and has been awarded abroad before that). Two months ago a CN official, Liu Zuo Zhang, came to BR looking for technology sharing in oil drilling: something that wouldn't have been possible if Petrobrás wasn't really employing indigenous innovations as you suggest. As for the textiles, that it's been affected by CN products is due to price differentials based on currency values, not some intrinsic advantage of CN products, which are famously of low quality.
3 - The finished cars industry has been dominated by foreign companies since the 50s, though most of their suppliers are national. Therefore, no replacement of national industries by foreign ones has been made in that sector. Here are you talking out of your ass again. Sectors that did suffer from a change of hands were that of consumer goods other than cars and that of telecommunications, which was created by the military's state-owned enterprises. I fail to see in either case that the replacement was of any benefit. For instance, the BR telecommunications sector, the mostly foreign owned sector, is today one of the most expensive and least productive in the world.
Jun 23rd, 2011 - 10:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As for our forests, Brazil can still pass some decades reducing its forest area and still look, by comparison to your country, as an environmental superpower. 60% of BR land area are covered by forests as opposed to 12% of British land.
Hi, Forgetit,
Jun 24th, 2011 - 11:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0I see you ask for a bit more information about my background (How come you never give any of your own?).
I had both parallel and sequential careers in academia.
One in environmental sciences, esp. applied ecology;
the other in uni. management, educ. liaison, M.R. & marketing, worldwide student recruitment and admissions.
The second of these took me to many parts of the world where I could additionaly observe & practice the first, with linked unis.
Re. refs.
Try Jared Diamond's trilogy of easily readable anthropological histories of the species and its societies, both historic and contemporary:
i 'The Third Chimpanzee',
ii 'Collapse - How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed' (esp. Ch. 13 & 15 re. Aus.), and
iii 'Guns, Germs and Steel - The Fates of Human Societies'.
We were lecturing on the same topics at the same time.
Re. Deforestation: see
ii & iii (above),
Avaaz present world petition on the topic (Please sign it!), and
the juxtaposition of the Wattsup website and 'The Last Generation - How Nature Will Take Her Revenge For Climate Change ' by Fred Pearce, for climate/weather pattern change issues.
I am leading you to general and semi-technical tomes, etc. on the topics rather than academic papers - they tend to be more readable.
I recognise the dilemmas inherent in the Bel Monte/Xingo River development, and have - only locally - accepted Dilma's 'development over environment' stance.
I have no doubt we will discuss at other times embedding imported advanced technology in national industrial production systems - sufficient to say here and now, it is important to do this effectively and rapidly as the new technologies develop.
Recognising this as the *greatest* national priority - and creating the environment for this paradigm shift (inc. education) - is Brasil's second core problem.
The first is, of course, institutionalised corruption.
@GeoffWard
Jun 26th, 2011 - 02:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0You didn't say much on the issues we were discussing. As for my background, it is of no relevance because anything I say in a discussion you may check in external sources. I have never my background or personal work as evidence for any argument whatsoever. Moreover, I'm only a university student, I have no academic production to which I can point for others as an authoritative source on the issues we're discussing.
Forgetit #29,
Jun 26th, 2011 - 08:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0never say “I'm *only* a university student”.
This is something really special and something to be proud of.
You are judged here on what *you* say, not on the quality of your references (the difference between uni. study and the real world).
You command a lot of respect on this site and, although we emphasise different things, and sometimes disagree powerfully and fundimentally, you remain one of the 'anchor' people on the site.
I frequently met and tutored students that moved on to illustrious careers and, even whilst they were undergraduates they more than held their own in debates (on the degree topics and in wider discussion).
I kept up with these greater young minds just by being older and having had a wider personal world experience assimilated over many years.
IT’S spelled ***F U N D A M E N T A L L Y ***...... Mr. Professor.
Jun 27th, 2011 - 06:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A Brazilian view of the current situation in Arab countries ...
Mar 10, 2011 ... (ii) it is fundimentally important to cut out corruption in government and its administration whenever and wherever it is found to exist ...
CFK warns Moyano on “blackmailing” and attacking the economic ...
May 13, 2011 ... Their raison d'êtres are fundimentally different and are fundimentally counter- active.
With Colombia support Venezuela gets temporary extension of Andean ...
Apr 11, 2011 ... I disagree with you fundimentally on most things, but it is always *me* speaking , not the Voice Of Brasil. ...
China will participate in Brazil's next oil and gas bidding round ...
Feb 25, 2011 ... Oil-imbalance will change the face of the earth fundimentally. Those without oil , and with insufficient assets to buy it at the ...
Moyano calls for CFK re-election and wants a finger in companies ...
Apr 30, 2011 ... I won't dwell on that history because it was not auspicious and it split British society fundimentally. Sufficient to say, the union-formula ...
Brazil's Vale yields to government pressure names new CEO — MercoPress
Apr 5, 2011 ... your active support for illegal action by our government is the perfect example of the Brasilian Problem. We disagree fundimentally. ...
China further opens its market to Brazilian beef, chicken and now ...
Apr 21, 2011 ... I have debated, advocated or supported removal of individuals that have * fundimentally and undemocratically mis-used and abused* the ...
The All Mighty Think “ the super speller” is on his period today !! watch out EVERYBODY and be sure you spell check is ON !!!!!!!! :-)))))))
Jun 27th, 2011 - 09:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If the Nutty British Professor plays condescendent with Forgetit87, ………..... I play condescendent with the Nutty British Professor.
Jun 27th, 2011 - 09:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Think, you return!
Jun 27th, 2011 - 10:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'll match your condescent with my consecent, and raise you one ascent.
And remenver it's just a blog,
those who get anal with me about speling can stick it up their fundiment.
“Seriously though, children, spelling is REALLY important.
It can affect your future.”
I remember a nutty professor who did his last finals exam and read on the question paper 'interspecific competition' when it actually said 'intraspecific competition'.
Mild dislexya can seriously damige your haelth.
: )
I don't think Forgetit87 needs your help Think ! I'm pretty sure he can defend himself .... Did I spell everything right? just checking .... :-))))))))
Jun 28th, 2011 - 01:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thikn,
Jun 28th, 2011 - 06:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Apologies, it was totally out of order for me to suggest you stick anything up your fundiment.
In the UK the title Professor is reserved for a university's Best of the Best of the Best (sounds like Jay's training course in MiB ; )
in Brasil, & Argentina?, it describes any half trained and underpaid teacher in any bog-standard primary school.
Kay: “See ya around, Thikn. ”
Jay: “No, you won't. ”
@Artillero601
Jun 30th, 2011 - 08:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0Think and I have been occasional debate partners for over a year. We have this tacit agreement between us to bash the British/Americans that come along. :)
@Geoff
I don't know how the uses given to the word 'professor' came about in this discussion, but in French they use the word “professeur” in much the same way as we in Latin America and Latin Europe. Ce n'est pas notre faute que vous les vikings utilisiez les mots de nos langues d'une façon degenerée.
Well, Forgetit,
Jun 30th, 2011 - 11:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0I think you would make a great professeur (even though Thikn will correct your 'utilisiez' ; )
though I'm not sure Thikn's indoctrination would be appropriate gor schooling a nation's children.
PS . Even the great Charles de Gaulle appreciated that the French have their weaknesses as well as strengths
“Les Français ont besoin de se sentir fiers de leur pays. Sinon, ils ramper dans la médiocrité, ils se battent entre eux et ils prennent un raccourci vers le plus proche du” bistrot ”.
I guess the British use of the word Professor would be 'regenerate' and would appeal to L'Académie Française - but, hell, then they'd have to find a new word for Teacher.
@Geoff
Jun 30th, 2011 - 12:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Cette déclaration là de M. Gaulle, je n'ai pas pu la trouver. Dans quelle occasion l'a-t-il dit? peut-être après l'indépendance de l'Algérie? En tout cas, on peut ajouter aux ses mots que cette “faiblesse” - le nationalisme et le besoin d'affirmer les vertus de son pays contre tous les autres - on peut rencontrer dans tous les nationalités. Elle est parfois plus visible dans les pays comme la France, ceux qui sont ou ont été dans le passé récent des grandes puissances. Au moins il est clair que ses manifestations les plus honteuses on trouve surtout dans les peuples qui jouent des rôles centrales dans le système-monde actuel (par example, les américains et les chinois). Imperial parochialism is something that's been found in such countries when they're at the zenith of their power. Reading Nietzsche's comments on II Reich Germans is like reading a descrition of today's Americans.
@37 No problem !! Go right ahead. Let the debate to continue ...
Jun 30th, 2011 - 01:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Forgetit #39 et al,
Jun 30th, 2011 - 10:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“This statement is from 'Mr.' de Gaulle, I could not find it. What occasion has he said? perhaps after the independence of Algeria? ” . . . . .
No idea, it's just a quote I remembered; it is published but without date-accreditation.
“In any case, we can add to his words that this ”weakness” - nationalism and the need to assert the virtues of his country against the other -
can be encountered in all nationalities.
It may be more visible in countries like France, who are, or have been in the recent past, a great power.
At least it is clear that its most shameful expression is found mostly in people who play central roles in the modern world-system (for example, USA and the Chinese).” . . . . .
'Xenophilia' - which should be the opposite of xenophobia - but isn't, should be the expression of that to which you refer.
The French have always been chauvanistic, latterly also the citizens of the USA., and of course Bismarkian & Hitlerian Germany.
I am very unsure whether the Chinese express their 'new status' in chavanistic terms - it is not part of their national character.
Equally, North Korea's chauvanistic bellicosity may be all show for the Great Leader.
Like Britain, it is unsurprising that Argentina displays the trait. Only quite recently Argentina was a first world nation,
and it has its origins in the great world empires - Spain, Britain and - arguably - Italy (Rome): racial inherited behaviour through immigration.
[Many of us tend to forget just how much of the Argentinean character is inherited from the Anglo Saxon brits and huns.
Ex-Iberian hispanics tend to be histrionic, but the brits and huns 'Really Mean It']
;-)
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!