Massive anti-corruption protests in Brazil just continue to grow and grow

[Dari]

and this started with the hiking of bus fares, no doubt, to pay for soccer temples that will gather dust after the World Cup and Olympics. Of course, this is money that could be better spent elsewhere in a poor country...

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Brazil unrest: 'Million' join protests in 100 cities

More than a million people are reported to have taken part in protests in about

100 cities across Brazil, the latest in a wave of demonstrations.

Violence erupted in many places and an 18-year-old man died when a car drove

through a barricade in Sao Paulo state.

Protests began more than a week ago over high transport fares but are also

highlighting corruption and the cost of next year's football World Cup.

President Dilma Rousseff called off a trip to Japan to deal with the crisis.

She has called an emergency meeting of her cabinet for Friday to discuss the

unrest.

The newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, citing official figures, said that more than

one million people had taken part in Thursday's demonstrations.

Brazilian media said there were protests in more than 100 cities.

In Rio de Janeiro riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at groups of

masked young men trying to approach the City Hall late on Thursday. At least

29 people were reported injured.

Rio authorities sealed off the state legislature building, the state governor's

office, Guanabara Palace and the mayor's office.

TV images showed gangs looting shops in the city centre - although many Rio

shopkeepers and banks had put up wooden hoardings to protect their premises.

In the capital, Brasilia, demonstrators started a small fire at the entrance to the

foreign ministry and were driven back by police using rubber bullets and tear

gas.

Other government buildings in the city were attacked and riot police used tear

gas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowds. About 26 people were reported

injured.

There were also clashes outside a football stadium in Salvador ahead of a

Confederations Cup match between Nigeria and Uruguay.

More clashes were reported in Porto Alegre in the south, Campinas north of Sao

Paulo and in the north-eastern city of Salvador.

The 18-year-old man killed in the city of Ribeirao Preto was the first person

reported to have died in the protests. The motorist who drove through the

barricade is said to have fled the scene.

In Sao Paulo, police said 100,000 people had gathered on the city's landmark

Avenida Paulista.

Members of the city's Free Access Movement (Movimento Passe Livre) - which

has been campaigning for better public transport - earlier pledged to take to

the streets "to celebrate" the reversal of a public-transport fare increase.

The protests, originally triggered by the increase on 2 June, have since grown

into a much wider movement.

Protesters are angry at corruption and poor public services as well as the huge

cost of next year's football World Cup, saying the government should also

invest in education and healthcare.

Previous Confederations Cup matches have drawn protests, with demonstrators

expressing their anger at steep ticket prices and the money spent on the

Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad said Wednesday's reversal of the fare rise

was a "big sacrifice", which meant other investments would have to be cut.

Sao Paulo and Rio are the latest two cities to reverse such increases after

similar moves by the authorities in Cuiaba, Recife and Joao Pessoa.

The fare rollback, while welcomed by many, has so far failed to quell the

protests.

"This means that our politicians have begun to hear our voices. This is

something that has never happened before - in a non-election year, at least,"

Daniel Acosta from Sao Paulo told the BBC.

"It's a start. What happens now, nobody knows yet, but it gives us hope," he

added.

But 18-year-old student Camila Sena said the protests had become much wider

and the concession on fare prices would not change much.

"It's not really about the price [of transport] any more," she said while taking

part in a protest in the city of Niteroi, near Rio de Janeiro, on Wednesday.

"People are so disgusted with the system, so fed up that now we're demanding

change."

The current unrest is the biggest since 1992, when people took to the streets to

demand the impeachment of then-President Fernando Collor de Mello.

 

[Doppel]

What annoys me most is no article says how much the increase was and to me this is important. Was it 1%? 5%? 100%? I have no idea.

 

[Dari]

What annoys me most is no article says how much the increase was and to me this is important. Was it 1%? 5%? 100%? I have no idea.

It was 6-7%, iirc. But, even though it has since been rescinded, the protests have taken on a life of their own. People are tired of endemic corruption.

 

[raildogg]

ROFL, concerned about Brazil spending money on soccer.

America and the West spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons of mass murder every single year yet their countries have millions of hungry and starving people.

 

[monovillage]

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”

― Margaret Thatcher

 

[2timer]

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”

― Margaret Thatcher

Interesting. Not really pertinent, but interesting.

 

[Via]

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”

― Margaret Thatcher

And the problem with capitalism is that eventually too much money belongs to too few. It's a mathematical inevitability.

And the problem with pure communism is that it removes incentive to excel.

All economic systems have inherent problems. That's why the government is supposed to be a safeguard against abuse, not a lubehouse for corruption like it is in the US.

 

[monovillage]

Interesting. Not really pertinent, but interesting.

Bullshit, much of the reason for the protests is the increased cost of heavily subsidized transportation costs for those on the dole and the extremely high taxes for those that work. The citizens on the dole want more and better services while the citizens whose taxes pay for them want to keep more of their own money.

 

[monovillage]

And the problem with capitalism is that eventually too much money belongs to too few. It's a mathematical inevitability.

And the problem with pure communism is that it removes incentive to excel.

All economic systems have inherent problems. That's why the government is supposed to be a safeguard against abuse, not a lubehouse for corruption like it is in the US.

Said like a nice little communist/socialist.

 

[Incorruptible]

Bullshit, much of the reason for the protests is the increased cost of heavily subsidized transportation costs for those on the dole and the extremely high taxes for those that work. The citizens on the dole want more and better services while the citizens whose taxes pay for them want to keep more of their own money.

We have the same problem in the US. These leeches have to stop stealing money from hardworking taxpayers.

 

[unokitty]

BBC compares the movements in Brazil, Turkey, and Iran, and comes up with:

"... all three movements are demanding basic individual rights and accountable government. They want non-corrupt leaders who respect their right to protest, gather and speak freely. From minority rights in Turkey, to fair elections in Iran, to better policing, healthcare and transit in Brazil, protesters want improved governance."

Social media, and the Internet, are making it more difficult for unresponsive corrupt governments to hide.

Common people are becoming less tolerant of politicians enriching themselves and their friends through large government projects such as the FIFA World Cup.

And they are demanding that governments become more responsive to middle class citizens not just the politically connected.

IMHO, its a good thing.

If we would have had Facebook back then, no way could the US politicians have gotten away with sending 50,000 of my contemporaries to die in South East Asia. While at the same time, they were enriching their political friends with lucrative 'defense industry' contracts ...

You can call the Brazilians what ever you want. I'll call them the Chimes of Freedom ...

Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Best of luck to the Brazilians, to the Turks, and to every other individual demanding basic individual rights and accountable governments!

Uno
Sentry Dog Handler
US Army '69 - '71

 

[DucatiMonster696]

And the problem with capitalism is that eventually too much money belongs to too few. It's a mathematical inevitability.

And the problem with pure communism is that it removes incentive to excel.

All economic systems have inherent problems. That's why the government is supposed to be a safeguard against abuse, not a lubehouse for corruption like it is in the US.

No its not and this belief shows how you have been easily misled into believing that those who rule over you do so for your own best interest.

It is the individual voter who is supposed to be the actual safeguard along with their right to dissent from government and its policies. However government's when given any ability to grasp at major power over the individual and room to grow and expand its powers will always attempt to do so and usurp, manipulate, distort and undermine the ability of the voter to check their privileges and limit their growth.

 

[sunzt]

Bullshit, much of the reason for the protests is the increased cost of heavily subsidized transportation costs for those on the dole and the extremely high taxes for those that work. The citizens on the dole want more and better services while the citizens whose taxes pay for them want to keep more of their own money.

Actually, no it's not what you're saying.

They are angry cause they have spent over 26B on World cup and Olympic stadiums that benefit very few and have barely touched any infrastructure that affects the ordinary citizen.

Brazil has the largest road network in the world (or south america, i forget), but only 12% of it is paved! And transportation cost is about 50% of the costs for getting products to the consumer. The government has focused all its attention on the elite, upper class catering projects while ignoring the basic transportation needs of the public. This is why this whole thing was wrapped around transportation in the first place. Now since they backed down from the transportation increased, the protests are turning into other areas where the government isn't meeting basic needs such as medical care and safety nets.

Surprisingly, Brazil also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the continent.

So unlike what mono is saying, these protests are about corruption in the upper class and elites within the government. These protest are more inline with a socialist movement than anything.

 

[kage69]

Hey Eastern hemisphere, I'll see your Arab Spring with... a Brazilian Summer!

I've never been to Brazil, but I know enough about the place and have spoken to enough Brazilians to know that with such a huge disparity between the haves and have nots, something like this happening was really just a matter of time. Short term booms don't negate decades of underlying social issues, Brazil or anywhere else.

 

[IGBT]

this will happen in the US after a few years of obamaCare and other obama malignancies.

 

[Incorruptible]

Actually, no it's not what you're saying.

They are angry cause they have spent over 26B on World cup and Olympic stadiums that benefit very few and have barely touched any infrastructure that affects the ordinary citizen.

Brazil has the largest road network in the world (or south america, i forget), but only 12% of it is paved! And transportation cost is about 50% of the costs for getting products to the consumer. The government has focused all its attention on the elite, upper class catering projects while ignoring the basic transportation needs of the public. This is why this whole thing was wrapped around transportation in the first place. Now since they backed down from the transportation increased, the protests are turning into other areas where the government isn't meeting basic needs such as medical care and safety nets.

Surprisingly, Brazil also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the continent.

So unlike what mono is saying, these protests are about corruption in the upper class and elites within the government. These protest are more inline with a socialist movement than anything.

While the government shouldn't be pandering to the rich it shouldn't pander to the poor either. They need to cut welfare and government healthcare.

It sounds like people who want the government to give them more free stuff and not calling for small government.

 

[kage69]

this will happen in the US after a few years of obamaCare and other obama malignancies.

I'm still waiting for the stock market catastrophe I was told would happen after Obama became president. And then there was that martial law he was to going to impose.

Will these inbound American riots be occurring before or after all the other Obama disasters?
I just want to get my affairs lined up accordingly, you understand.

 

[Thebobo]

I'm still waiting for the stock market catastrophe I was told would happen after Obama became president. And then there was that martial law he was to going to impose.

Will these inbound American riots be occurring before or after all the other Obama disasters?
I just want to get my affairs lined up accordingly, you understand.

Well they are still working on the FEMA death camps and the United Nations Gay liberation Army is still on hold in Canada. The national gun registry didn't work out as planed so they will have to going door to door. As soon as the imigration bill passeses that they'll have millions more soldiers. And then as Rush predicted Obama will finally be able to destroy america.

(note sarcasm NSA)

 

[Balt]

Countries that are 'up and coming' are often more prone to protests and revolution than countries where the citizenry is poor and highly oppressed (such as North Korea).

Unmet expectations are a dangerous thing. There's a name for this in political science, but I can't remember what it is.

 

[OverVolt]

Said like a nice little communist/socialist.

And he is wrong too. In Capitalism the big guys can fall just like the small guys. You see Woolworth's still around? No?

When you start allocating resources out in a command economy suddenly the people in charge of allocating said resources are insanely powerful. Insider deals and who you know are the name of the game and it leads to more inequality than capitalism could ever create, why does he think communist societies fall apart to begin with? The inequality.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

and this started with the hiking of bus fares, no doubt, to pay for soccer temples that will gather dust after the World Cup and Olympics. Of course, this is money that could be better spent elsewhere in a poor country...

link

Brazil is a BOOMING country. The last decade has been like a 3rd World Country magically go into 1st. The economic world recession we are still in has hardly been a factor for them.

They are far from poor.

 

[Vic Vega]

These are like the occupy protests - they don't have a point.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Brazil is a BOOMING country. The last decade has been like a 3rd World Country magically go into 1st. The economic world recession we are still in has hardly been a factor for them.

They are far from poor.

Yes I'm sure their govt and their corrupt rich buddies should just come out of the woodwork and shout "WE HAVE A BOOMING ECONOMY" and the crowd will enlightened by this sudden fact and go home, paying things like slipping real wages no mind.

 

[Atreus21]

Does Brazil have universal healthcare?

 

[unokitty]

Inflation and Corruption Fuel Revolt

... hundreds of thousands of Brazilians, primarily from the middle class, are protesting against: nepotism, delusions of grandeur and the fabulous wealth of a select few. It started with demonstrations against raising the bus fare by 20 centavos (9 US cents), but rapidly became a more general uproar over the issue of who should benefit from Brazil's riches and what is more important -- new hospitals or glittering sports stadiums.

Uno