A book recommendation…
We are not too keen on writing about Brazilian politics – we prefer to leave the arduous task of writing about the never-ending corruption in Brazil for other media vehicles. After all, this blog likes to focus mostly on finance and investments. But after being asked about the subject by a few of our readers, here we will open a small exception with a book recommendation.
In the past, we have recommended a book (in English) about this subject called “Corruption in Brazil: From Sarney to Lula”… it is sold as an eBook at Amazon.com. But this time we have another one that might be of interest to our readers, although it is only available in Portuguese.
In the two governments of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, several cases of corruption rocked the country, and the most serious scandal became known as the “Monthly Allowance” (“Mensalao”), in 2008. The leaders of PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores), Lula’s political party, were accused of putting together a complex criminal organization, but Lula (with his Presidency powers) managed to stifle investigations and protect allies and supporters.
Having said that, someone much better suited than us to talk about this subject has written a book about it in 2009, and it is available for free on the internet – it is called “O Chefe” and can be read here. The author is Ivo Patarra.
We have not read the whole thing, but the few chapters that we looked at should give the reader a great insight into the Brazilian politics mess. Who knows… perhaps we will translate it sometime soon to our international audience.
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DEFINITELY IT SHOULD BE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, AT LEAST. SARNEY AND LULA ARE DOUBTLESS AMONG THE POPES OF CORRUPTION BUT VIRTUALLY EVERY POLITICIAN, MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY, POLICE, MILITARY AND PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES ARE PART OF THE CORRUPTION CULTURE.
Having been born in Brasil, I have lived in Brasil for most of my life. I have also lived in Canada for 10 years. All I can say is that corruption is EVERYWHERE. In fact, corruption in Brasil is pretty bad, but it's NOTHING compared to North America. Politicians in Brasil steal millions. North America, as a whole, is an entire mafia's horn nest that steal hundreds of billions from North Americans and the rest of the world.
The anonymous last comment is totally exaggerated and just look at the independent audit of corruption in the world, and you can see canada as # 10 and the USA # 15. Brazil is # 54, and that is before the latest huge corruption discoveries, which should distance brazil more downward. But maybe the author of the last comment has included the Ponzi schemes and was impressed by their values. The difference in Brazil, is that it is much more generalized , down to the policeman that gives you a ticket, and the way it goes unpunished.
I suggest to Anonymous to go to the internet and look at the corruption indexes, and not be impressed by some individual experience in the country where he lives.
WHAT HAPPENED TO JON CORZINE?
Give it time, and you will see. Just like Maddof
LULA IS WHAT BRAZILIANS CALL "CARA LEGAL, MALANDRO". THEY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WITH THE TYPE. HOURS SPENT IN BARS PREPARED HIM TO COMMINGLE WITH THE SOUL OF THE AVERAGE BRAZILIAN.
BRAZILIANS FALL EASILY FOR ADULATION OF THEIR EGOS.
GOOD PEOPLE BUT VERY NAIVE.
CORZINE SHOULD MOVE TO BRAZIL. GO TO BARBARELLA, IMPREGNATE SOME GPs, HAVE BRAZILIAN KIDS, BE HAPPY AND BECOME AN ADVISOR TO THE BRAZILIAN CROOKS.
THEY WOULD NOT EXTRADITE HIM.
You guys should also read the "Privataria tucana", a recently published book that shows the dark side of Cardoso's era. Corruption in Brazil is as big as in many other places (the Florida "chapter" of second Bush Jr.'s election…), and it is not at all a problem of Lula's era.
For those Brazilians who think that "everywhere is the same" and therefore things should remain unchanged, remember that Maddoff is in jail ( and won't leave for the next 140 years). Where are Collor, Maluff, Sarney and Lula?
When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stood for President (5 times), his platform centered on the removal of corruption – a fairly easy stance in the Collor era – and one easily understood by the electorate. How disappointing that Lula’s legacy to Brazil is the expansion and extension of corrupt practices to, arguably, all areas of governance and administration. This has been a cynically applied process for which the ruling party, PT, can never be forgiven. Even the judiciary prefers to not offer judgment on guilt and innocence when there may be a political dimension to corruption – i.e. nearly all situations, and refers matters to the President for a Judgment of Solomon. Thus the legal process receives party-biased treatment or, in many high-profile cases, no treatment at all!
obama/bernanke&co they stole trillions of the americans taxpayers direct to loan big banks secret loans???corzine is friends w/ clinton so he cannot be in jail after stealing billions!gsachs stole billions in derivatives !!sorry who is asking for integrity??