Opinion – David Wiswell: Brazilian news is starting to sound like US news reruns

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Unfortunately, as someone who loves Brazil and is an American citizen, reading the recent news out of Brazil feels like a rerun of our news over the last few years. A history teacher once told me, “If you don’t know your history, you are doomed to repeat it.”

I thought she was threatening to reproach me, but I came to understand that she was sending a message that perhaps all of us are missing. Having followed the American version of the story, I can reveal to you the bizarre similarities and, who knows, with luck, we can end with a positive spoiler of what’s to come. The story is this:

Driven by desperation and rage, a population disillusioned with traditional politics elects a far-right leader that I will describe as a baby version of Hitler. Better —we have a weaker “lite beer” in the US. Call the elected leader Hitler lite. Not as potent as Hitler, but under his influence you probably won’t be able to operate heavy machinery. Like a voting booth.

The aftermath of the election cements a growing discord between the two main political factions, creating tension among the inhabitants and even within many families. Like real alcohol, when someone takes too much Hitler Lite at Christmas, uncomfortable situations are created.

Our mini-Mussolinis start to walk around tripping over things, in a stupor of cacophonous buffoonery, breaking laws, claiming to know more than the scientific community, attacking the sensibilities of large sectors of the population, attacking the press and becoming objects of ridicule on stage worldwide. Amid so much doubt about its leadership, the country decides: “We are upset with the system, but we need an adult!”, and, instead of a child, elects a senior citizen.

Because in reality it’s better for the president to be someone who potentially gets his pants dirty literally than figuratively. This electoral setback leads them to delve into the stages of grief, especially denial. But before that comes another stage that is not so well known: eating!, as seen in a recent photo of Bolsonaro, in which we see him stuffing himself in a KFC in Florida after his defeat.

It’s the Trump comparison that comes to mind the most, short of bragging about fictional accomplishments, which leads me to wonder if Trump’s father didn’t hug Bolsonaro when he was a child. Just as I have long speculated that this is what made Trump need so much attention and fried chicken.

But let’s go back to denial. Our little Führers make it an art form. Denial of their failure as leaders, the effectiveness of the election they lost, and ultimately their guilt for attacks on democracy.

If you asked them if they were in denial, they would almost certainly deny that too. After stoking the anger and doubts about the election that led to the attacks on the government, they issue a statement to obscure their responsibility and then devour buckets of chicken.

Meanwhile, the people they claim to be fighting for put themselves in danger, further attacking the democracy that holds our conflict-weary countries together, all to further their own self-centered goals. I never cease to find it amusing how these so-called populist candidates seem to feel nothing but contempt for the population.

The positive side is that their credibility is weakened. From the villain of history, backed by the Republican Party and the propaganda machine of the right-wing media, Trump is now starting to be ignored by these two institutions, like peer-reviewed scientific data.

Media outlets are not giving Trump a platform, and Republicans have stopped funding the lawsuits mounting against him. Perhaps Trump and Bolsonaro also did not understand what my teacher meant, and, not knowing the story of the real Hitler, they can simply reach the petty ends to which they are fated and be disapproved by the real story.

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