Long time readers may remember that the quadrennial world cup is a major milestone for me. Posts about soccer/football start appearing as I follow lovingly my beloved "bleus". But this will not be the case this year. With the World Cup held in Brazil, the country in large part responsible for the situation in Venezuela today, a World Cup held by a political decision of Lula's arrogance that may well be blowing up his face, I will be monitoring preferably riots in Brazil during the cup rather than actual games. Never mind that with the loss of Ribery, France's meager chances to advance to the second round are almost nil.
I think it is some sort of divine retribution that the World Cup set up in Brazil has revealed the extensive corruption of the country's political class, and the one of a significant chunk of its business class. Amen of their combined venality. And all of this under a government of the people for the people. El povo they call it I think. And el povo has been waking up there.
It is amazing that the intense corruption associated with the organization of such games will blow while in Brazil, the most futebol crazed nation, just as the FIFA goes under scrutiny for an obvious corrupt assignation of a future world cup to Qatar.
Whatever it is, my enthusiasm for the World Cup is dead, at least this time around. It cannot be otherwise as I ponder what part of the corrupt Brazil establishment (from Lula to Odebretch) has screwed Venezuela just as it screwed the Brazilian tax payer. My only comfort is that maybe Dilma may lose her reelection bid now that rumors of Lula new bout of Cancer deprive the corrupt Brazilian lefties of a replacement figurehead. For the long term good of Brazilian people (and the Venezuelan one) a defeat of the Canarinha is to be wished for.
Monday, June 09, 2014
22 comments:
Comments policy:
1) Comments are moderated after the sixth day of publication. It may take up to a day or two for your note to appear then.
2) Your post will appear if you follow the basic polite rules of discourse. I will be ruthless in erasing, as well as those who replied to any off rule comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In the UK the Brazil World Cup story to date is more about the corruption, demonstrations, enthusiastic police, favelas, poverty, security, drugs, child prostitution and so on. The British are well known for the love of the game but we are also keen supporters of democratic rights.
ReplyDeleteBrazil is of to a very poor start as far as the media coverage is concerned, in fact it looks a bit dodgy.
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteIt would be extremely helpful,refreshing and just plain GOOD, to have someone covering and blogging the protests and the Brazilian atmosphere during the World Cup frenzy. Is there some blog or website you recommend?
P.D: It's good to have you back,I hope everything's good.
What the hell does Brazil have to do with Venezuela's problems?
ReplyDeleteAs for the protests in Brazil, Americans really don't give a s***. They just want to see the games.
Everything! When you pretend to be the leader while supporting chaos, you are guilty of supporting this hell.
DeleteI was gonna ask the same question, albeit more politely..
DeleteThe constant support of Brazil to Chavez and now Maduro on international stages and supporting the result of crooked elections certainly deserve a share of the blame. Stuart is right, the others are wrong.
DeleteWell in that case you can point your finger as well to none other than Mr. I have my head up my a** Obama. Americans are the largest supporter of the regime. We fund you. Doesn't get worst than that yet nobody says NOTHING.
Deleteanonymous 12 45
Deleteit is not obama who funds venezuela, it is YOU, the american folk that cannot live without AC, big cars, etc....
Given that before Obama funded Venezuela, Messrs. Bush and Mr. Clinton also did so, along with Reagan and several other presidents, it doesn't have much to do with just who happens to be sitting on Gringolandia's Iron Throne. Besides, America is relying less on Venezuelan oil, but since we are some of the few that have the processing capacity, we buy it to keep jobs and excess production on hand.
Deletechildish beyond belief...Venezuela is responsible for Venezuela no matter how hard you want to be anti american firepigette
Deletejust sad
"American football" is an oxymoron. Good luck if you want to see games where America is not playing. Fret not: your team won't get very far.
ReplyDeletePeleito
and capriles says he is an admirer of lula and that his policies will be a la brasilera.
ReplyDeletei wonder if brasil is not financing-controlling some oppo leaders as a hedge to their investments and future contracts in case the regime collapses.
For Brazil, I hope they are. The contrary would reveal a staggering degree of amateurism.
DeleteAnd in the whole Lula legacy, his social programs were clearly a good and efficient thing. It worked and it was pretty inexpensive. So, if Capriles wants to to pick some stuff from Lula, that's actually not a bad pick.
"Brazil, the country in large part responsible for the situation in Venezuela today.."
ReplyDeleteI must completely disagree there.
Can't blame a single foreign country, not even Cuba, for the chaos is Vzla. It's obviously a combination of multiple internal factors, and above all, underneath it all, the lack of Education that brought us where we are in terms of corruption, totalitarianism, etc. Ask Uslar Pietri,, Brazil has very little to do with anything.
Of course not, all of us are to blame for our own problems....but are there unethical nations who make it worse? sure..firepigette
Deletebrazil aided chavez during el paro, odebrecht got contracts without bidding and grossly overpriced, has never condemned human rights violations, etc... they have been the great apologists of chavez to the rest of the intnl community. i would say it are VERY responsible for the vzlan crisis by lobbying for the tyranny and doing business with it.
ReplyDeletethat's nothing..
DeleteMaybe it's a combination of several factors not least the Kennedy Clan, Lula, Castro and so on. But the biggest problem, maybe the only one, is Venezuelans don't give a damn for their country.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it's all about - "what's in it for me ? And that includes the educated too.
World Cup is opium for the masses. Go ahead watch you will be helping kids go to college, those kids of the millionaire players thank you.
ReplyDeleteIran owns Venezuela now, once you come to terms with this then you can move on.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that neither the US or Brazil are responsible for what is going on in Venezuela.
ReplyDeleteChavez came to power in order to fix various problems that infuriated him. But in gaining power, he had to make deals with various people and groups. He had to have allies and had to build his government. The problem was that he build a corrupt government because that is what he could do. He took short cuts to keep power because he was unwilling to lose. The end result is the Venezuela we see now.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post about World Cup. Just a tip about those who don't live in countries that stream world cup online. You can use UnoTelly to remove the geoblock and stream World Cup 2014 in your country free worldcup.unotelly.com