MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Rousseff comes out in defence of a very much questioned Lula da Silva legacy
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has come out in defence of her predecessor and political mentor Lula de Silva who was the target of strong criticisms from another former president Fernando Enrique Cardoso. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesDilma is only able to stand for a second term because of this FHC constitutional amendment.
Sep 04th, 2012 - 09:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0It is a bit disingenuous of her to criticise him in this respect, especially when those closest to her (VE, AR, etc) are manipulating democracy to make 'election for the rest of your natural life' a reality.
Or aren't we supposed to use the term ''democratic' dictatorship' any more?
She's right, Brazil is much better off without the likes of Cardoso running it
Sep 04th, 2012 - 01:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Lula administration was a transformative one for Brazil.
Sep 04th, 2012 - 03:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 01 GeoffWard2 (#): Of cours Dilma is a beneficiary, but she is NOT the opportunist like Cardodo who advocated the amendment solely for his own benefit to continue his own political ambitions. So what exactly is your point regarding Dilma? Seems kind of disingenuous of you to hit Dilma for something she had no part in, just because she can now look at the prospect of two terms. And so what if she does? Her record is one of complete competence and responsibility, for certain, not to mention her wild popularity among the chief beneficiaries of hers and Lula's policies of giving dignity and a measure of security to the ordinary brasileiro, who would never have gotten it from the right wing mob.
Sep 04th, 2012 - 03:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It might be different if the right and center-right had not behaved in as corrupt a manner as, or more corruptly than, they now accuse Lula. But this attack, urged on by the right wing agenda-driven, elite-owned Brasilian press, is equally disingenuous and corrupt. It is exactly a case of the pot lecturing the kettle on its blackness.
Excuse me for asking, but “questioned” (and “very much” to boot) by whom, precisely?
Sep 04th, 2012 - 05:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Lula's legacy hasn't suffered any setbacks, thank you. He's still by far the most popular Brazilian president ever, and his popularity has been *growing* lately, not the opposite -- together with Dilma's.
Dilma -- a bit naively in my opinion -- tried to prop up Fernando Henrique as a leader for a more “civilized” opposition, setting him as an option to the lying and treacherous style of the main opposition leader, José Serra. Fernando Henrique, being what he is, took this as an opportunity to enlist Dilma in the “bad inheritance” camp, those who, being unable to blame her, point accusing fingers to Lula as the one responsible for the current (and already in the past) slowdown of the economy.
Dilma's note was a way of showing she realised -- at last! -- that former president Fernando Henrique, driven by a deep-rooted jealousy of Lula's success-based popularity, cannot help being a scorpion.
“Very much questioned”? By whom? By a former President that could not make its sucessor and whose party has democratically been kept away from power for over 10 years. Mercopress is not even subtle in its biased and distorted journalism. Could you please go back to making journalism and stop inserting political opinions in what is supposed to be a report of facts?
Sep 05th, 2012 - 12:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0#4, #5, #6, etc
Sep 05th, 2012 - 09:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0Mercopress has been consistent in its reporting of FHC’s legacy, his personal distance from corruption and his resistance to allowing high office to bring him personal fortune.
Below are Mercosur’s ‘FHC’ postings from the last couple of years; the Brasilian president who led Brasil into the modern world following the efforts to do so during the military era.
‘Brazil’s main presidential candidate considers Mercosur a “farce” and a “barrier”’
Can you deny this?
‘Brazil needs a budget surplus and strong savings, recommends former president’
Do you disagree with him?
‘Dilma moving closer to the opposition and “taking distance from Lula da Silva”’
‘Rousseff comes out in defence of a very much questioned Lula da Silva legacy’
Is she wise to create this distance, and what does she gain by bringing FHC’s successes to the fore?
‘Brazilian leader recommends President Rousseff to “purge” her cabinet’
Do you disagree with these actions, which were strongly recommended by FHC?
‘Former Brazilian president wins Human Sciences Prize for lifetime achievement’
Do you believe his impact on the world stage and within Brasil are insufficient for such world recognition?
‘Brazil loosing influence in South America to Venezuela, claims former president’
Can you doubt that this is the case, or that it will lead Brasil in a very different direction?
‘Clinton and Blair praise Brazil’s economic and social advance in two decades’
Whatever your opinion of Clinton and Blair, their understanding of the strength of FHC and the failings of PT and their coalitions, including the Mensalao and the institutionalising of corruption under Lula, is not – in my opinion - misplaced.
Do you think Dilma’s defence of Lula is anything more than protecting her voting base amongst ‘the workers’?
#7
Sep 05th, 2012 - 11:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Dear GeaoffWard2
Your line of -- for lack of a better word -- reasoning makes it obvious that you're beyond all reasoning, so replying to you is something of a chore. But I wouldn't want to leave other readers, perhaps less well-informed about things Brazilian, with the impression that your so-called arguments would be unanswerable in some way. So, well -- rolling up sleeves, spitting hands --, here we go. I will proceed in the same order you did.
Your aligning of FHC's “modernising” efforts to the illegal military dictatorship is telling, and bad for him, but I'll leave this alone because answering it would kill the conversation.
Brazil's “main presidential candidate” was so “main” that he lost the election by more than 30 million votes (as he will now be kicked out of Brazilian politics for good by São Paulo's voters). Despite his and FHC's efforts to undermine South-South trade in general and trade with the Mercosul in particular and to turn Brazil into another maquiladora haven, South-South trade is now more important to Brazil, in volume and earnings, than trade with t he crumbling “rich” nations of the North. And Mercosul exports are responsible for half of the two million new jobs created in Brazil in the past two years. So it's the main election-loser who's a farce and a barrier.
Brazil needs a budget surplus, yes. One that Mr. Cardoso could *never* generate in his 8 years in office, despite selling everything he could lay his hands on and dismantling the Brazilian State. Instead, he had record-breaking deficits, which ultimately led to the runaway inflation is his last year. Brazil's domestic savings grew almost 50% in the past ten years, since Mr Cardoso left office.
“Dilma moving close to opposition” is the opposition's wet dream. Fortunately, this opposition has nothing to offer Dilma, and so this remains what it is, wishful thinking and propaganda. Or plain wild delirium.
No space to go on. I may continue later. Take care.
#8
Sep 06th, 2012 - 12:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Carry on, Tomas.
Hear, hear!
Sep 07th, 2012 - 05:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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