Brazil News - Brazzil - Original and Fresh News from Brazil

Brazil News - Brazzil - Original and Fresh News from Brazil - Table of Contents for May/June 2003

FEBRUARY
2003

Cover
by
Alex
Korolkovas

Why Lula Should Be in the White House
It's hard not to think the world would be a better place if Lula and Bush swapped jobs. Wealthy oligarchs, who reach high office through nepotism are supposed to be South American. In a bizarre twist, global bankers love Lula and despair of Bush.
by Richard Adams

The Real Thing
When Bush talks about "leaving no child behind," you can as much as see the smirk behind it all. With Lula, you feel the resonance deep in your gut. His sincerity is undoubted because you know his own personal story is so real.
by Marc Cooper

Forget Davos
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva should skip the Davos Forum. If he is serious about defending human values he should take a more positive approach to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). He should also stop trying to revive the virtually moribund Mercosur.
by John Fitzpatrick

Stuttering Start
All is not as rosy as financial markets would have us believe. Congress practically will be in recess until after Carnaval (March 1^st to 4) and facing the reality of governing may be postponed for a while.
by Richard Hayes

It's Still Honeymoon
It may be a while before the current feeling of good will and grace period toward the new government dissipates. The local media is beginning to point out some of the deficiencies and past history of participants in Lula's government and their confused actions thus far.
by Richard Hayes

Blame the USA
What is bad for Wall Street and the U. S. elites is good for both the people of Brazil and the U.S.. Lula is right when he says that "blindly opening Brazils markets to the U.S. would be a virtual annexation of Brazil by the U.S.."
by Jeromy Ray

Feijoada with Soy Sauce
Koreans and Chinese seem to be the only people interested in emigrating to Brazil nowadays, but they haven't yet won the affection of the local population. The Japanese, however, have adapted totally to Brazil and Brazilians one of these days might elect a Japanese president.
by John Fitzpatrick

Jail Made Easier
Fear is a major motivator in a movement in the Brazilian Congress to change federal laws and allow children to be sentenced to adult prison starting at 16 years of age. Such a change, according to several experts, would be a losing situation.
by Heidi Cerneka

Sunny Side Up
In a direct response to those whose pastime is to badmouth Brazil, the Brazilian government has compiled an extensive list of Brazilian marvels. We reproduce the list, here, in its entirety.
by Guilherme Leite Ribeiro

Brazil Is Ready to Play
We want reciprocal free trade. Our export efforts will be worth nothing if the rich countries continue to preach free trade and practice protectionism. Constructing a new international economic order is not only an act of generosity, but principally, a demonstration of political astuteness.
by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

When Varig Is Gone
Getting ready for the worst, in case Varig, Brazil's largest airline, folds under the weight of its debts, the Brazilian government has prepared a contingency plan. The public will not suffer, guarantees Air Force commander Silva Bueno.
by Émerson Luiz

Very Special Students
Brazilian companies willing to export to the U.S. don't have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to study the viability of introducing their products in America. Now they can use the services of California students who are also American corporate executives.
by Kim Huggett

Sweat of Your Brow? No, Government Coupons
President Lula da Silva hasn't read the Bible. Or why would he say, "It is not written anywhere, not even in the Bible, that one needs to go without food for days". Work, the best antidote against hunger, does not seem to be a priority for the new administration.
by Janer Cristaldo

Opposition? What Opposition?
Political leaders in Brazil have been playing to the gallery and a high price will be paid before any major reforms—such as on the pensions, tax or the electoral system itself—are made. It is alarming at this early stage to see the "opposition" behaving so feebly.
by John Fitzpatrick

Getting High in Porto Alegre or
If Only Lula Were My President
Dateline: Porto Alegre, Brazil. If the critics of globalization who massed here are divided about the world they want, there was a single issue that united nearly everyone: the U. S. war against Iraq. All political groupings and delegations from some 125 countries opposed the war.
by Jennifer C. Berkshire

Brazil Gets Pat on Back from U. S.
We have seen an agenda designed to fight poverty and increase economic growth and stability. The new economic plan is rightly ambitious in its specific aims to end hunger, combat corruption, and discourage drug trafficking. Lula's agenda is a model in its aggressive focus on pursuing pro-growth reforms.

In Brazil, Spanish Will Do
So what is it about Brazilians that make them understand Spanish without a hitch? In Rio, they understood my questions, but I never understood their answers. Now how annoying is that?
by George Lou

Too Personal
During the Porto Alegre, Brazil, World Social Forum, Hollywood star Danny Glover reacted with the brutality of a true communist zealot to the request for aid to a humanitarian cause that seemed not to fit into his political creed.
by Olavo de Carvalho

We Need the Bomb - Part II
The Brazilian government is finally on the right track, regarding its defense strategy. It is time for Brazil to unsign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. North Korea just announced that they are unsigning from that treaty. In 90 days, it is a done deal!
by Ricardo C. Amaral

Telephone Manners in Brazil
When calling an executive in Brazil you will be asked, "Who wishes to speak," and put on hold. Then you will be told that the person is not there. Don't take it personally. It's just part of the culture.
by Richard Hayes

Anti-Globalization Squad
The Landless Movement emerged in Brazil, and has developed into the most important social movement in the country. But the movement has been the target of a pervasive attack by the media, which misrepresents and often fabricates stories to mislead the Brazilian and international public.
by Dawn Plummer and Betsy Ranun

Maniac for Education
Listening to Brazil's new Education Minister: I have always dreamed of becoming the Minister of Education…. We have to follow the example set by Fidel Castro and his companions in the Sierra Maestra, by seeking a Brazilian way…. The thing to do now is step on the accelerator and turn to the left.
by Cristovam Buarque

Paradise Guardians
Capão is a bird watcher's paradise. Ocelot, puma and jaguar still roam freely. The Environmental Commission of Capão Valley deals with several issues including control of pollution, littering prevention and protection of rivers and waterfalls.
by Phillip Wagner

Good to the Last Grain
What makes the coffee growers of Mulungu so special is their history of resistance to conventional wisdom. Their coffee is grown ecologically in a show that environmentally friendly enterprise is making inroads in Brazil.
by Phillip Wagner

Making a Difference
Sponsoring a youngster from a third-world country like Brazil promises to be an ongoing rewarding experience, building self-esteem on both ends. Students Helping Street Kids International shows us how this can be done.
by Jennifer Grant

Lessons for Living
At the Maanaim Center, in São Paulo, children are expected to maintain personal and clothing cleanliness. Some of them have never seen themselves in a mirror. The younger ones, in particular, will spend hours before the glass, getting to know their own form and features.
by Jennifer Grant

The Killing Season
There has been a wave of violence against indigenous peoples in the latest weeks in Brazil. One Indian was stoned to death while sleeping on the sidewalk. Other two were murdered while defending their land. In one of the attacks Indian women were raped by ranch hands and policemen.

The Way We Were
An exhibition of paintings by the Dutch artist, Albert Eckhout has sparked a revival of interest in the history of Brazil. His works allow present-day Brazilians to see what their forebears of almost 400 years ago looked like.
by John Fitzpatrick

Coming Out in Brazil
A candid talk with Beyond Carnival's author James N. Green. Says he, "I understood that the Brazilian Left, the PT and other groups, were ultimately likely to be allies of the gay and lesbian movements. Yet they were uneducated, rather stupid and backward about this question."
by Bernadete R. Beserra

How Brazil Wooed Me
I pictured myself living in São Paulo and I was comfortable with that. However, my indecisiveness started as I talked to other people who regarded it as a crazy move to a violent Third World country.
by Steven Rozengauz

What Portuguese Is This?
In Brazil there is almost a total ignorance about the mother nation. After a Portuguese rock group performed in Rio, a Brazilian commented: "It was OK, but I couldn't understand a word." A package of Portuguese films sent to celebrate Brazil's 500 years could only be shown to Brazilians with subtitles.
by Ray Vogensen

Downtown Blues
Pátio do Colégio: São Paulo, the third largest city in the world was born here. Still you don't see tourists or middle-class citizens visiting the site. Is it because they are not interested in their own history or because they are afraid of the beggars and thieves all around?
by John Fitzpatrick

Way, Way Back
A trip from Fortaleza into the interior of Ceará state is an experience in distance and in time. A trip at least 100 years into the past. Baggage and animals—chickens, pigs, and goats are interwoven in a network of sprawling life with squawks, bleats, grunts and laughter.
by Tomas Belsky

Brazilian + American
Sou brasileira-americana. I need to be my hyphenated me. My Brazilian family does not know me or understand me. For them I'm one of those Americans who have forgotten how to enjoy life. My American family does not know me or understand me either.
by Zulmara Cline

The Samba and the Fado
The attachment to the Portuguese language among Brazilians is more related to the fact that it makes them stand out from their Spanish-speaking neighbors. Despite the obvious connections, one can say that the average Brazilian cares little for Portugal.
by John Fitzpatrick

Look at Those Hoopsters!
While the WNBA is considered a career advance for women with basketball career aspirations, all Brasileiras playing professional basketball in the US achieved various accomplishments prior to their debuts in the Women's National Basketball Association.
by Mark Wells

All That Samba (and Choro and Forró)
Some of the best sound Brazil produced in 2002. Topping the list: Zé Renato and Wagner Tiso's beautiful Memorial, Milton Nascimento's heartfelt Pietá and Jacques/Paula Morelenbaum & Ryuichi Sakamoto's Jobiniano Casa, recorded at Tom Jobim's home.
by Egídio Leitão

True Brazilyankee
Thirty years after the success of the Brit Ritchie in Brazil, American Michael Anthony Lahue plays the Brazilian music market. His new CD Sonho (Dream) reveals a talented artist recording in Portuguese and doing Tom Jobim's arrangements.
by Marco Fonseca

Beyond the Bananas
The emergence of Carmen Miranda acted as an official link between the samba tradition of poor blacks and mulattos and white and elite middle-class to create a national identity. She belonged to Hollywood turned her back to her native Brazil not only once, but twice.
by Giancarlo Iosue

The New Orleans-Brazil Jam
For 22 years Katrina Geenen has been hosting "Tudo Bem," a New Orleans' radio program showcasing a variety of Brazilian musical styles. In recent years, Geenen focused less on Bahian music and plays a lot more independent music from Rio and other parts of Brazil.
by Thea English

The French Connection
France-based Brazilian group Jiripoca's second CD, Destinos, was released in 1998, close on the heels of their 1997 release of Babilakes & Muambas. It seemed that they would be generating a CD every year. But the group started lining up appearances in one festival after another.
by Phillip Wagner

Hot Stuff
It seems lucky: a Brazilian comes to America and the first week gets a record deal and a lawyer. Ahhh, the land of opportunity. It's Mayuto Correa's mettle rather than luck that resulted in success though. "I'm a jazz militant activist," he confesses.
by Melinda Wong

A Brazilian Blockbuster
Hollywood hunk and soap opera star in NBC's Days of Our Lives as Officer Santos, Brazilian Marcio Rosario also pays his dues. He encourages young Latinos to reach for the stars and stay out of trouble while visiting schools on behalf of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts.
by Judi Jordan

The Ox Who Said No
The crazed driver held on to his cart while trying to gain some control, chickens squawked and scattered, pigs squealed and made way—all was turmoil except—except for Padre Humberto who stood smiling at his handiwork of confusion and resolution.
by Thomas Belsky

God and Satan in the
Land of Carnaval
Carnaval in Paraguaçu. We ran around crowing like big roosters on drugs, or maybe hyper-excited hens in lust. With toy-teeth laces around our ankles and chicken bones on our heads, this flock of teenage pals was roaring and jumping, fighting and running. It was a total blast on that voodoo land of joy and relaxation!
by Dário Borim Jr.