MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazilian congress advances political reform to streamline parties; 28 have elected members
Brazil's lower house of Congress has given initial approval to a bill to reduce the huge array of political parties that have made it hard to govern the country and contributed to corruption. The chamber voted 384-16 for the establishment of a minimum national vote threshold that parties must reach to get public funding and free radio and television time for their election campaigns. The requirement would be 1.5% of votes in 2018, rising to 3% in 2030. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesREF: “a bill to reduce the huge array of political parties”:
Sep 14th, 2017 - 09:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And when are they going to pass the bill to reduce a HUGE number of crooks in the political system?
Political reform ?? what bullsh*t !! these politicians are mighty generous with themselves...“The requirement would be 1.5% of votes in 2018, rising to 3% in 2030.”
Sep 16th, 2017 - 02:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0so, of the 32 or 33 current parties, that should reduce the number to what ? perhaps 28 ?
Having six (6) parties would already be three too many. But of course, if it were good for Brazil, it would be bad for all the damned parasites...
@JB
Sep 16th, 2017 - 04:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0At least it should stop another 67 tiny parties from appearing. In UK elections candidates must pay a deposit, and lose it if they don't get a certain percentage of the vote. That cuts down on non-serious people (though we still have the Monster Raving Loony Party).
RE http://en.mercopress.com/2017/09/06/a-weakened-temer-faces-a-second-corruption-charge-with-a-divided-congress/comments
“will be away 20 sept to 27 Oct.”
That's a long time, are you going on holiday? I'm actually on holiday this week, I can still post but won't have much time for long replies.
As for the children, that's the point: they can't turn them away. It's not Obama, it's the international laws on refugees. And deporting people is never gonna be perfect, there are just too many to get them out quickly. Trump has deported less than Obama did in his first six months, so you can see it's not a lack of will.
Kids under DACA were mostly brought by their parents, so they didn't commit a crime themselves, and people who have committed serious crimes are not eligible. I don't see why vetting would be necessary, what would you check for, and how much would you spend on it?
“Have heard nutcases arguing that not allowing Muslims in, or turning away some - who could become potential terrorists - is the cause of their hate for the west and its culture”
I have never heard that. I've heard people say that invading Iraq, and bombing countries in the Middle East, made a lot of Muslims hate the US, and I think it's true.
I've also heard that IS wants to start a huge war between Muslims and 'the West', and they tell people that Islam is incompatible with western values and the US is prejudiced against Islam and will never accept them. Calling for a ban on all Muslims doesn't exactly help to prove them wrong...
@DT
Sep 16th, 2017 - 06:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It “should” stop these tiny ‘parties for hire’, but the proposal, as it is, won’t change much ; If the whole idea is to make governing easier, more transparent, without having to ‘buy’ the good will of so many politicians (with different interests), to get important laws/reforms approved, they need to pass a law that eliminates 80 % of current parties, asap.
Yeah, a vacation...to get away from all the crap for a while, even though it probably won’t be any better when I get back.
DACA kids : “they can't turn them away. It's not Obama, it's the international laws on refugees”…1st of all, most kids weren’t refugees - 76% of them came from Mexico, not exactly a ‘war zone’…2nd, IMO it was simply a premeditated move by the kids families, to take advantage of BO’s reluctance to enforce the immigration laws. He had no legal obligation to let them in, but to get his way, he went behind Congress’ back and signed the Executive Order ; It doesn’t have to be mass deportation, nor immediate …that would be unfair to those who have become responsible citizens…am advocating kicking out those who, after serious individual checks, do not qualify. There are dozens of arguments, pro & con, but if the laws had been enforced, instead of resorting to a subterfuge, perhaps the problem would not exist...
I’ve seen tons of placards reading “we love Muslims” (with a ‘heart’ in the place of ‘love’), “let all refugees in” (referring mainly to Muslims), “love thy neighbor” etc…on the other hand, if they hate the west, why don’t they stay where they are ? And if some Muslim communities weren’t pushing for sharia law, or if IS hadn’t been trying (unsuccessfully) to turn parts of the ME into a caliphate, or if the radicals weren't defending world domination by their faith, or if 9/11 hadn’t occurred, why would western countries be concerned ? the temporary ban on Muslims from entering the US, is just a breather to be able to get things under control again.
@JB
Sep 16th, 2017 - 09:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I found the results from the 2014 election on Wikipedia. There were 32 parties, of whom 14 got less than 1.5% of the vote, leaving 18. Another 7 got less than 3% (though these might increase their vote share if the smallest parties disappear). If these all go you'll be left with 11 parties which is surely a considerable improvement?
Also I noticed there is both a Communist Party of Brazil (Partido Comunista do Brasil, PCdoB), and a Brazilian Communist Party (Partido Comunista Brasileiro, PCB). Splitters!
Hope you have fun on your vacation then! I expect some more politicians will have been arrested by the time you get back.
Mexico may not be a literal war zone, but there are drug wars going on there. Fights with law enforcement, fights between rival gangs... parts of it are very dangerous, and Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are even worse. According to The Economist, a man in Honduras has a 1/599 chance of being murdered each year, and a 1/9 chance of murdered over his lifetime. In any case, the country has to go through a procedure to let them apply, check their claim and make a decision on whether to grant them asylum. Only if and when their application is rejected can they then be deported.
And DACA did not force the border police to allow entry to minors, it's a completely unrelated law. Perhaps you could have a look and see if Obama signed any EO's ordering them to let in minors with no checks or visa? There must be a list somewhere.
“if they hate the west, why don’t they stay where they are”
Because like any disparate group they don't all have the same opinion? Some hate the West, plenty hate Isis and many don't care about politics, but don't want to live in a war zone or even a miserable refugee camp if there is another option. Some are translators and other people who worked for the US in Iraq, and whose lives are in danger if they stay there. (The Pentagon finally managed to persuade Trump to let these in, but the damage may have been done.)
@DT
Sep 16th, 2017 - 10:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Only 11 parties would no doubt be a significant improvement. the number of parties proliferated due to a fact I've mentioned before, which is that every politician would love to be the leader of his own party.
Thanks for wishing me a good vacation.
Right, Mexico may not be a literal war zone, but surely there are places in Mexico where drug wars are non-existent...places people could move to, to get away from the mess...but of course, it's probably easier to go to the US..
The CBP complaints I refer to, occurred in 2014/15, well after the kids who were benefited by DACA, in 2012, had already been in the US for several years. So, the DACA has nothing to do with the instructions to the CBP to look the other way, in 2014/15. BO never “signed” anything to that effect - to allow minors in - he simply passed the order down, until it reached the CBP. I repeat, I'm not against immigration from poorer countries in Latin America, neither against letting Muslims in.... I'm just saying they need to follow the same rules anyone else would have to, if applying for US citizenship...or citizenship of any other country..
@JB
Sep 17th, 2017 - 06:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Oh, so Obama didn't go behind Congress's back and sign an EO to let the children in?
I found an article from 2014, relevant bits:
“Many of the immigrants use rafts to cross the Rio Grande, equipped with instructions to follow the river until reaching the Border Patrol site to surrender.”
“U.S. law prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from immediately deporting the children if they are not from Canada or Mexico.”
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/10/politics/children-immigrant-crossings/index.html
Nothing about Obama ordering border guards to let them in. If he gave such an order it couldn't be a secret, the opposition would have made it into a big scandal and I would have no trouble finding something that mentions it.
It would be nice if people would follow the rules, even nicer if children didn't have to flee their homes for fear of being killed by a gang. I think there are safer regions in Mexico where the children could have gone, and Obama persuaded Mexico to intercept the children and prevent them continuing to their northern border. That is why the number dropped in 2015. He also made a scheme to let children apply in Honduras and have their cases processed there, but it wasn't very successful. People will always try to get a better life, and it's difficult for the US to deal with them.
You said above “It doesn’t have to be mass deportation, nor immediate …that would be unfair to those who have become responsible citizens,” that is why Congress tried to pass the Dream act, and Obama ended up creating DACA. To help those who have become responsible citizens. But I think some Americans now want everyone deported, no matter what.
As for the Muslims, they were following the rules and applying for visas before Trump stopped them. It's harder to sneak in across the Atlantic ocean.
I heard that people are now fleeing Venezuela and moving to Brazil, and Brazil is letting them in. What do you think about that?
@DT
Sep 17th, 2017 - 10:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Allow me to clarify, 1st) 2012: BO bypassed Congress /signed DACA, to temporarily legalize the situation of the 100’s of thousands who came in prior to 2007 ; 2nd) 2014/15 : nothing to do w/DACA, videos of CBP officers saying they were told to 'go easy’ on the 1000’s of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. It was no secret, and the lack of enforcement of the immigration laws ‘was’ criticized, by the CBP . Google “Unaccompanied children crossing southern border in greater numbers again, raising fears of new migrant crisis”….following excerpt from the article : “ “Before the last surge, the administration did too little to heed warning signs that extended back several years, according to interviews with former government officials, outside experts and immigrant advocates. The result was an inadequate response that contributed to a rapidly escalating crisis in summer of 2014.”
“The administration did too little to heed warning signs…” says it all ; Instead of BO ‘persuading’ Mexican authorities to intercept the kids, he could’ve simply enforced the law. He chose not to. The CNN link you posted, says “Some members of Congress say Obama's policies and a lack of enforcement are to blame”, & “The President has sent the message out he is not going to enforce the law,” Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican whose commentary on immigration reform drew sharp criticism, told CNN.” If BO had enforced the law, no Dream Act , nor DACA would be needed. But because those who were benefited by DACA still need to have their situation defined, is why I suggested the individual checks to decide.
On the Muslims, BO let about 10,000 in…Hillary wanted to let 55,000 in….and this is what got communities in and around central US really pissed-off, resulting in protests that the Muslims were creating their own, closed communities, in which Americans were not welcome…
Can sympathize with the fleeing Venezuelans, despite becoming a burden difficult for Bzl to cope with.
NO democratic country needs more than 3 or 4 political parties. Any more than 3-4; are the Corrupt-Offshoots of these 3-4.
Sep 18th, 2017 - 10:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0@:o))
Sep 18th, 2017 - 02:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Agree 100%.....but when everyone wants to be a “cacique”.....
@JB
Sep 18th, 2017 - 07:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Venezuela now has the second highest murder rate in the world, behind El Salvador, and with Honduras in third place. So you can understand why people are fleeing from all of them. Perhaps the children from the latter two countries could have stopped in Mexico, but I don't know how willing Mexico is to let them stay, either.
“If BO had enforced the law, no Dream Act , nor DACA would be needed.”
You mean if previous presidents (from both parties) had enforced the law, right? Because Obama faced the situation that there are already millions of illegal immigrants living and working in the US, as now so does Trump. And Trump has left 6 months before the end of DACA to allow Congress to pass some substitute, if they can get their acts together (sadly unlikely).
Your quote says the administration was unprepared, not that they didn't enforce the law. It's not the same thing at all. Why would Obama go to all the trouble of getting Mexico to stop the children, and then tell the border guards to let them in? It makes no sense. Look at the EU; Greece and Italy are not very successful at blocking migrants, and they certainly don't want any more.
“Some members of Congress say Obama's policies and a lack of enforcement are to blame”
They are talking about DACA and other measures applied to those already in the country. I did say at the beginning that Obama's policies could have had an indirect effect by making people think he is 'softer' on immigration, even though they did not apply to the new arrivals.
Cameron was going to let 20,000 Syrian refugees into the UK (after checks), so those numbers seem pretty reasonable. From what I heard the US does not have a big problem with closed Muslim communities, unlike the UK and France. AFAIK the main deal for most people is fear of terrorism, despite most of their Islamic terrorists being US citizens (who unlike the refugees, have never been screened).
@DT
Sep 19th, 2017 - 12:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0I know, VZ has become a hell hole. But most of the kids who crossed the US border 10 years ago 'were' Mexican. Those crossing the border 2014/15, I doubt Mexico had any intention to intercept them.
Right, blame has to shared by '”previous presidents (from both parties)”, for not enforcing the laws correctly, but to claim that the administration(s) was unprepared, is a stretch ....AFAIC, Obama actually encouraged the disobedience of the law...my quote says “the administration - BO's - did too little to heed warning signs that extended back several years....”....'did too little to heed', sounds mighty like a consciencious decision to ignore the consequences (and the law). Much like the Benghazi fiasco....did too little, too late.
IMO, BO knew damned well that the Mexican authorities would never keep their promise, much to the contrary.....the Mexican government had every interest in that Mexicans keep flowing over the border, be it either to sneak in, go north and stay, or to cross the border to offer their labour to US farms when they were needed to harvest watermelons, or whatever. Didn't one of Mexico's previous presidents (Vicente Fox ?) strongly criticize GWBush for starting to build a wall...he claimed it was unfair on the Mexicans who depended on work on the other side of the border. Look, I am not privy to the reasons of either side for doing what they did, but I can assure you that the CBP officers were frustrated with the BO's unwritten policy that they were obliged to follow. Obama definitely passed a message that he was 'soft'....and people took advantage of it.
Regarding the US Muslims, those who arrived years ago probably poise no threat....it's their children who do, impressed and influenced by all the IS propaganda and BS...The US might not have the same problem - yet - that the UK and France do, with respect to 'closed' communities, but the way things are happening, if I lived near any of them, I'd be worried. ..
@JB REF: everyone wants to be a “cacique”
Sep 19th, 2017 - 12:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Obviously!
Who would like to miss a highly lucrative opportunity and an offer which one can neither refuse nor resist?
https://i0.wp.com/www.humorpolitico.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Charge-18.09.2017.jpg?resize=580%2C414&ssl=1
@DT
Sep 19th, 2017 - 02:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0These people manage to stay in power for 2 reasons, 1) they legislate in their own favor / never propose laws that might, one day, put them behind bars ; until recently, white collar crime wasn't even specifically defined ; 2) the population – don’t like repeating this all the time, but – as a whole, it is stupid -they’re unable to even reasonably discern who is crooked or not / just keep voting in the same scum …politicians have traditionally escaped prosecution because having immunity their cases are referred to the STF, and b4 the STF gets around to them, the crimes prescribe.
Lula has enough cash stashed away to pay the best lawyers, so why did none step up ? not even Texeira, Zanin’s father-in-law, offered his services…probably knows too much to be able to defend him honestly. Right from the start, the chances of getting Lula off were slim, and some didn’t want to be associated with him. Even some of PT’s allies are starting to admit Lula is a lame duck, and are looking for alternatives for 2018.
You can be sure, knowing the toad, he’ll blame anyone to keep his nose clean…and why not his dead wife ? she can’t contradict him… he always ‘used’ her, before, during & after his 2 terms, he had several lovers, the most notorious being the secretary in Dilma’s SP office...he only brought Marisa Letícia in from the cold because he needed to appear respectable.
Brazil, differently to the UK, is a new country, without the time to have formed/ consolidated various dialects. There are 7 countries which speak Portuguese and about 10 years ago they all agreed to follow a standard, common language, with same grammatical rules…only exception is the pronunciation, which does not follow rules. The standard in the US is commonly regarded as that in Boston, closest to UK’s.
In cable TV you get many US channels, so besides local stuff (on local channels), most shows, series, films are American, or European, with the option of original/ dubbed versions.
REF: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/opinion/brazil-corruption-car-wash.html
Sep 19th, 2017 - 05:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's truly admirable; how “The Operations” are Exposing Political Crimes in Brazil. BUT what may happen thereafter? NOT much or NOTHING Most Probably - AS USUAL - due to a miserable performance!
Mexico has no reason to want to stop illegal immigration to the US. The money sent back by people working there contributes to the economy, and it's not their problem. They do have a point that the US needs people to do these agricultural jobs, but refuses to issue enough visas. This creates a situation where farmers are actively recruiting illegal immigrants, who then have no rights, while other people blame them for the problem.
Sep 19th, 2017 - 06:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Anyway, even if the kids crossing the border 10 years ago were mostly Mexican, that is no longer true. Most of the recent ones have come from the 'northern triangle' countries, as both articles said. I'm not sure what Obama offered Mexico to persuade them to intercept the kids...
Can't say I agree with your interpretation of 'did too little to heed'. Sounds like ordinary government incompetence to me, they seldom react to things until the situation becomes serious. If they meant he decided to ignore the law, they would have said so, or another article would. I don't know what was going on with your CBP videos, but they probably don't know all the ins and outs of the law, or why decisions are made.
And I think a lot of the criticism of Obama was for how he handled the volume of kids, not for failing to prevent them arriving. There were not enough places available for them to stay, processing their asylum claims was slow, and he had to request extra money from Congress to deal with it.
As for the Muslims, I think it's true that the children of immigrants are often the ones radicalised. I wonder why? Perhaps because the parents made their own decision to move to a new country with a different culture, and never expected to be fully integrated, but their children did, and were disappointed they still felt like outsiders?
From what I have seen, the US does a better job of integrating immigrants than European countries, though still not perfect. So I don't know if they will have the same problems.
Will reply to your other post elsewhere.
@DT
Sep 19th, 2017 - 10:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Agree with the first two paragraphs, but we will have to agree to disagree with regards to the “did too little to heed”…..see no point in trying to find excuses for government incompetence, especially in this case where the issues are very significant. If it were an “ordinary” problem, perhaps, but it wasn’t. CBP officers are well aware of the immigration rules, so don’t see them letting illegals in because they don’t know the Law. I may be suspect for criticizing BO, but I think he ignored the seriousness of other problems too, until it was too late. Looks like there was a pattern, screw up and then try to blow it off as unimportant…when the problem won’t go away, tell lies. Just my opinion.
I think that the older Muslims emigrated before all the hatred appeared, and the younger generation, perhaps not feeling ‘included’ as they would like to, were more likely to feel revolted and start to admire radicalization as a means of getting what they wanted….whatever that is..
DT, closing shop now, travelling tomorrow, so we can continue our discussions end of October. Keep well.
Bye then, have fun on your holiday!
Sep 19th, 2017 - 10:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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