Brazil
Brazilian Elections, 2018
1. The Basic The 2018 Brazilian Elections will choose:
(a) the President of the country (Federal Executive Power);
(b) the Governors of the 26 States and the Federal District (Executive Power of the Federative States);
(c) 2 Senators by State to compose the 81 agents of the Federative States in the Legislative Senate House (Legislative Power) - 2/3 of the Senate are chosen in this Election;
(d) until 513 agents of the people in the Legislative Deputy House (Legislative Power);
(e) also, in this Brazilian Elections Brazilians will choose the States Deputies, as well as Deputies of the Federal District, to compose the Legislative Houses of each States and the Federal District - something like 1.000 legislators.
Considering the pyramidal structuring of the Brazilian State (1 Union, 26 States, more than 5000 Municipalities) and the Brazilian Constitutional Powers (Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Powers), the Brazilians will choose, in 2018, the top of the control power.
This is the General Election, that at the side of Municipal Elections (for Executive and Legislative Powers), constitute the voting system of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The members of Judiciary, as well as the Public Attorneys are not chosen by elections, but by public tender. Of course there are important exceptions in this system (like the Justices of the Supreme Brazilian Court, that are chosen by the other two Powers), but this is the main structure of the control power in Brazil. This is a main draft of the checks and balances between the Republic Powers.
2. The Criticism
There are serious concerns in the Brazilian Elections of 2018. The first (a) of all is about the (in)security of the electronic voting process.
On the following informations given on the secure of Brazilian electronic voting system (http://www.tse.jus.br/eleicoes/eleicoes-2018/seguranca-das-eleicoes-informatizadas), by the Brazilian Superior Court for Elections (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral - TSE), the only words that came to my mind are: puts the source code of the software for the Brazilian Electors verify. Well, only a few IT geeks will understand true and false in the electronic voting system, the rest of all will need to believe on them. I remember that Mark Zuckerberg is an example of IT geek that make experience with the privacy of people around the World. Most of voting people do not even know what is a source code of a software.
Other points are (b) the (in)security of the political survey that is always on media, (c) the fake news, (d) the social media control (Facebook and Twitter always in the television showing the numbers).
Considering this scenario, one good way to choose a candidate is observing the debates in the television, because who knows does it alive.
And there is the (e) post election, that is equal to the acceptance, or not, of the election's results. In this point, the issue of the electronic vote can comeback, as well as the political protests and the role of the Judiciary Power in the destiny of the Republic.
On the so talked (f) political polarization in Brazil, it is important to remember that there is no other way to grow up and develops the political culture. The conflict among oposite sides is a natural movement of the life. Wants or not, the polarization will happens in the political process in any country, in any collective entity that human beings are constitutive elements. It is the pendulum movement of the History, it is the dialectics of the World. In one time, one side; in another time, other side. And by this logic, one type of Government gives place to another.
By one hand, until a certain point, the bi-polarization increase the degree of criticism, and this is fundamental to a mature political culture. By the other hand, the negative point of the polarization is that who is of one side only wants to talk and hear with persons of the same side. And with Google and other companies wanting to show to you only what you like, this is a spiral to close your possibility to learn more. So, there is a time, in the mentioned pendulum, of extreme intellectual darkness prior than the enlightened synthesis. The process is painful.
Also, (g) it is important observes the influence of the international scenario in Brazil, how the global conjecture affects the sovereignty of Brazil to decides internally [concerning this external influence, think on the tech companies mentioned above, as well as the economical and military (cyber)movements of USA, EU, China, Russia]. It is a fact that the people always was a mass to be manipulated, and if you think that the Internet frees, more than ever we are metricized, measured, directed, managed, controlled...by whom? The Internet controllers. Tech companies helps to control elections around the World.
3. Facts to think about
Are relevant facts to think about:
1998, Brazilian Presidential Elections, Google is founded
1999, Fernando Henrique Cardoso in charge as President by the second time
2000, Municipal Elections with electronic system to vote used for the first time in large scale
2001, Death of Toninho of PT, a mayor related to the political party of the next President
2002, Death of Celso Daniel, a mayor related to the campaign of the next President, Amazon Vigilance System - activated in cooperation with a USA company
2003, Lula in charge as President
2004, Municipality Elections, establishment of Law on military organization by the Law LC 117 – “use of military forces to guarantee the law and the order” inside the country, Facebook is founded
2005, Severino Cavalcanti resignes as President of the Chamber of Deputies
2006, Presidential Elections
2007, Lula in charge as President by the second time, Renan Calheiros resigns as Senate President
2008, Municipality Elections
2010, General Elections
2011, Dilma Rousseff in charge as President
2012, Public Services Strike, Municipality Elections
2013, Political engagement, of Brazilian citizens, in Street’s Protests, Edward Snownden’s scandal on USA affecting Brazilian sovereignty
2014, Brazilian Federal Police with operation Lava Jato, Presidential Elections, with the death of the strong candidate Eduardo Campos, Fifa World Cup, a Global Event in Brazil
2015, Dilma Rousseff in charge by the second time, Eduardo Cunha as President of the Chamber of Deputies, establishment of norms on military organization by the Law LC 149
2016, Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, Eduardo Cunha in jail, Municipality Elections, Olympic Games, a Global Event in Brazil
2017, vice-president Michel Temer in charge as President, Brazilian Federal Police with operation Carne Fraca
2018, Lula in prison, Truckers Strike (National Political Phenomenon), establishment of norms on Cooperative Financial System by the Law LC 161, norms of Recovery on Taxation Debts of Micro and Small Business by the Law LC 162, Cambridge Analytica’s scandal on how social media can influence political scenarios, especially Trump’s election and Brexit, establishment of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the Brazilian Law on this issue, Presidential Elections, with the attempted murder of the candidate Jair Bolsonaro.
To a more complete approach on Relevant Facts in Brazil concerning the past 20 years (1998 - 2018), refer to "https:rdc.pro.br/brazil"
4. How to choose a candidate?
At this point I question myself: if we believe that the election was not hacked, if we believe that the computation of votes is public and understandable for the most Brazilian citizens, and if we believe that we do not suffer strong external influence, how to choose correctly a public agent to make Brazil a better place to live? In other words, how to choose someone to be my agent (considering that this is yet necessary in a Representative Democracy)?
First, forget the opinions of others. Look for yourself, not trough the eyes of others. It is exactly on this that resides the importance of see the debates among the candidates. Or you will choose the vote according the choice of persons around you? Think: what are the reasons to make your choice? Ideology, common values, same interests? Is the profession of the candidate important? Do you prefer a lawyer or a military in the Power?
In the General Elections of 2018, the number of candidates, to choose at once, are six. Only for the President function, there are more than 10 candidates in this Election: Álvaro Dias (Pode), Cabo Daciolo (Patriota), Ciro Gomes (PDT), Fernando Haddad (PT), Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), Henrique Meirelles (MDB), Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), João Amoedo (Novo), João Goulart Filho (PPL), José Maria Eymael (DC), Marina Silva (Rede), Vera Lúcia (PSTU). A mature scenario in Brazilian Political Elections? Or all the same as usual?
It is important remember that Lula (PT), a President of Brazil by twice, and that is considered a political idol for many (be for the positive side, or the negative one), an idol of good or an idol of evil, was caged, and in his place was put Haddad (PT). So the formal candidate is Haddad, but the real candidate is Lula? Or no, and Haddad is a self-oriented person using the moment to become President?
A lot of people really get scared with the structural corruption showed by the operation Lava Jata. But this Judiciary approach on the balance of Republic’s Powers was more, or less, prejudicial, in economical terms, than to the Truckers Strike? How much was the return of Lava Jato in relation to the Gross Domestic Product? What was the cost in terms of due process of law?
Other fact concerning only to the Presidential election is the attempt against the life of the candidate Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), which one, according the surveys, are in the first place, in the first round, but not enough to win without a second round. In Brazil there are not two rounds in General Elections, for the Executive Power, when there are 50% plus 1 of the valid votes for President or Governors.
55 years - Fernando Haddad (or Lula?) (PT) is the candidate leftist, was Mayor of the City of São Paulo and Minister of Education in Lula’s Government. Laywer.
63 years - Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) is the candidate rightist, and already was Federal Deputy and Municipal Legislator of Rio de Janeiro. Military.
In the middle:
60 years - Ciro Gomes (PDT) is a center-left candidate, was a Governor of the State of Ceará, Mayor of the City of Fortaleza. Lawyer.
65 years - Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB) is a center-right candidate, was Governor of the State of São Paulo and Federal Deputy, already being a candidate for the President at 2006 and Mayor of a small city. Physician.
Leftist again:
36 years - Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), newest leftist candidate for president. Philosopher.
73 years - Henrique Meirelles (MDB), was president of a World Financial Group, president of the Brazilian Central Bank in the PT's government of Lula and Dilma. Engineer.
Rightist again:
73 years - Álvaro Dias (Pode), is Senator, and already was Federal Deputy, State Deputy, Governor of the State of Parana. Historian.
55 years - João Amoedo (Novo), of the private area of the Financial Market, with a fortune of almost 0.5 billion in Brazilian currency. Engineer and Company Manager
A Religious approach:
42 years - Cabo Daciolo (Patriota), was Federal Deputy by the State of Rio de Janeiro. Always talking with a Bible on the hand. Military Firefighter.
An Environmentalist, Religious and leftist approach:
60 years - Marina Silva (Rede), was Senator, Minister of the Lula's Government, State Deputy by the State of Acre, Municipality Legislator. Already was candidate for President of Brazil by the past 3 General Elections. Historian.
Other faces:
61 years - João Goulart Filho (PPL), was State Deputy, son of the ex-president of Brazil João Goulart, that was in charge in the 1960's decade. Philosopher.
78 years - José Maria Eymael (DC), was Federal Deputy and candidate for the past 5 elections for President of Brazil. Philosopher and Lawyer.
51 years - Vera Lúcia (PSTU), was candidate in elections for Federal Deputy and Mayor of the City of Aracajú, but never won an election. Social Scientist.
The above information, on the profession and general past of the candidates, was obtained from the Internet, especifically, from the Wikipedia. So, if there is an error in these informations, this error continues here. And this is one of the dangerous of the Internet. Let's consider the above information as true.
Let's consider also the voting researches in the television media as true. So we have, in the first round for Presidential elections, these candidates: Jair Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad fighting for the first place, followed by Ciro Gomes, Geraldo Alckmin, and after Marina Silva.
Considering that the will of 2.000 persons can not reflects the will of 140 millions of persons, and if there is no voting researches before the election day? A voting research is a good, or bad, instrument for the country? Will exist usefull vote in this scenario of no researches? Or will be easer frauding the elections?
Again, with the informations above we already know the age and a general professional past. These factors, for sure, can give us an idea of how the candidates can try to solve some problems of the country. But these persons are so distant from our view and reality...this is why the debates are the best way to understand the candidates, by the analyses of their behaviors in conflicts among them. Without debate, the rationality of choice decrease, facilitating populist maneuvers.
5. "To get my Brazil out of this mess"
Politics is the War by other means. Or, better, is the first way of War. The maximum power is always the one to kill.
The maximum fear is always the death's fear. The Politics works with power. The Law is an instrument of the power. For sure that were not fatalities the facts with Eduardo Campos and Bolsonaro. For sure that the kings, before eating, used someone to eat first. Maybe, of this death's issue came the fascination on the political power, that is close to the idea of divine power.
Again: Electronic Elections, as well as the Law and the Media, are instruments for the exercise of political power. And humans loves power.
Our situation in Brazil at 2018?
A few Banks has a monopoly of the Financial Sector, a few companies has the monopoly of the Telecommunications Services, Brazilian Medicine depends on foreign goods. And as I already express in other article: we do "not live in civil war, nor in an explicit dictator environment, nor with war with third countries". "There is no right to the citizens have guns, as well as there is no death penalty in the criminal legal system. There are about 1 million of lawyers in Brazil". "There are about more than 2.000 Institutions of Superior Education in Brazil"."There are about 400,000 doctors in Brazil according to the Federal Council of Medicine". But Brazil has more than 200 million citizens. And when we divide this number of people by the numbers of physician, Institutions of Education, lawyers, banks, etc, we see that we can do better as a country.
“How to get my Brazil out of this mess?”
Maybe the poet was right: "only when the bat donates blood, and the saci perere* crosses the legs".
*Saci perere is a Brazilian folk figure who only has one leg
But if you believe in the present elections, such as in saci, this is the time, my dear Brazilian citizen, to choose a candidate.
Maybe, in a future, we can make more secure elections (block-chain?).
Maybe, with the right persons now, we can have better days in the future.
It is all about how a culture treats and valuable the power.
05th October 2018
By:
Rafael De Conti, a philosopher and Brazilian lawyer
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