“I’m 43 years old, I have a paunch, out of shape. A 25-year-old girl has the right to say: I don’t want to go out with Adolfo, that guy is an old man, he has a paunch. Is she discriminating against me? “.
The question was asked by the new Minister of Mines and Energy, Adolfo Sachsida, in a video he published six years ago on the internet. The conversation is part of a series entitled “Learn economics from Sachsida”.
In the module where he talks about physical attraction, the theme is quota. He uses examples of what he calls the “flirt market” to say that it’s human nature to discriminate.
“Does a person have the right to discriminate against another? This question is more difficult than it seems, because, deep down, discrimination means choosing”, he says.
Elsewhere in the introduction to his class he says that many women discriminate against men.
“That guy is short, I don’t want to, he’s bald, he’s paunchy, that guy’s ugly, he’s fat, boring. Is that wrong? Do we need a policy to force women to like ugly, bald, short men? , fat, boring, dumb, poor and with bad breath. Is this guy discriminated against by women? Of course he is discriminated. I’ve never seen many women running after a guy like that. Do you understand where I’m going? We all discriminate. Discrimination is inherent to human beings. It is natural to human beings. In various acts during our day we discriminate”, he continues, before starting to reflect on the role of the state. “Should the state intervene in this?” he asks.
When presenting his reasoning, Sachsida says that he is not illiterate on the subject and that he has already published in Brazil and abroad on the subject, in addition to having taught doctoral classes.
The same reasoning, according to him, applies to the hiring of women and blacks.
“When you have competitive economies, I think that laws forcing entrepreneurs to pay the same for men and women, for whites and for blacks, forcing entrepreneurs to hire some minority, are inefficient laws, because the market itself solves this problem”, says Sachsida.
He shows similar thoughts to talk about the difference between the wages of beautiful and ugly women. In one of his examples, the minister says that if he were to compete for a spot to play on a basketball team, he would be passed over by a black sportsman. In the same video, he even states that he is black, showing one side of his arm. And at the same time, he says that he is also white, showing another side of his arm.
In the electricity sector, Bento Albuquerque’s resignation was met with surprise and disappointment, as the former minister had a positive assessment in the market.
In private conversations, Sachsida’s arrival is treated as unknown. On Wednesday morning (11), businessmen from the sector went to gather information about the new minister because he is unknown in the middle. There is a fear that the profile could bring turmoil at a time when the modernization of the regulatory framework is discussed, if it is too aligned with Bolsonarist ideologies instead of a more balanced technical profile.
Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter and Paulo Ricardo Martins
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
