I am not that educated at Brazil’s political affairs so I won’t comment on what happened to him. But based on your description this sounds exactly what happened and is still happening to ironically the opposite political side in America. How many corrupt democrats have been held accountable? How many obvious rioters got held accountable last year? Biden’s son, brother, etc got held accountable? Did orange man get harassed with obviously politically corrupt abuses of the judicial system? Spied on? Bogus charges of him enriching himself in office? What happened to people like Roger Stone, Papadopolous? The obvious self defence cases like Kyle Rittenhouse, the McColskey couple etc?
Not doing a whataboutism. Obviously what happened in Brazil is wrong (if your description is accurate and based on your previous honest reporting, I have no doubt it is). Just pointing out how this should teach a lesson to the democrats who are encouraging things like censorship, abuse of judicial system to punish political opponents. The abusive system they are happily supporting will one day come back to bite them in the a$$. And there may not be people left to feel bad then. Just like they came for Alex Jones and Milo, they also came for Tulsi Gabbard and Justice Clarence Thomas. No one gets spared.
The more I read Mr. Greenwald’s columns, the more I wonder, does anybody have the balls to acknowledge that it’s sociopathy that drives these people, regardless of politics, business, industry, even community affairs…
Sociopathy is the true pandemic across the globe, and you folks better figure out what it is…
Again, my definition is rather simple: relentless lying; pathological hypocrisy; causing despicable vile harm chaos and death; showing absolutely no remorse for consequences to innocent responsible humans; and finally, cruel and vicious mocking and disdaining healthy accepted boundaries set by society for generations.
You can’t play nice with hate, lust for power, and disregard for life.
But, keep playing the game of trying to be civil polite and tolerant to evil.
That’s the message these columns wind up reminding me.
But, at least Mr. Greenwald is being as honest and accountable as one could hope.
First - congratulations on your courage and major efforts !! Bolsonaro clique is a very dangerous crime family, much adored by right-wing extremists in the US security apparatus. Like you, I am still grieving about horrible assassination of another Brazil's political star, Marielle Franco. Please take care to protect yourself and your family.
Your warnings for the US are very timely. We all know how The Intercept, which you co-founded, silenced you regarding massive corruption in Biden's family. Since that time, despite that Trump defeated himself by his incompetence in virus handling, there has NOT been a peep in the corporate press about that huge and global corruption case.
Biden administration and oligarchs behind it totally control HiTech monopolies (Amazon, Google/YouTube, Facebook, Tweeter, etc.) - all for years deeply integrated into huge US surveillance/"security" apparatus. The recent letter by two California House "lifers" and otherwise for years useless Democrats Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney to CEO's of cable companies are truly unparalleled and represents the rise of fascism in the US -- under a guise of "fighting fascism." All these multiple attacks (note similarities with Brazil) are clearly carefully choreographed and coordinated -- easily predicted and well understood since we should always keep in mind that there is one HUGE elephant in the room:
The scam of the century - the now 5-year long Russia-gate hoax initiated by Obama/Biden administration
The Russia-gate hoax and two-impeachment “entertainments” were concocted by neo-liberals Obama/Hillary/Biden/Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Ruskin, etc., etc. -- and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military and security industry donors, i.e., the War party
By far the absolutely highest need of Biden government and its DNC oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be exposed.
This represents a new phase of US domestic politics -- on foreign policy oligarchs of both parties are united.
Hence immense obligations to primary corrupt propagandists for their roles, including despicable Kamala Harris (Hillary’s protégé), Neera Tanden, Melissa Hodgman (wife of the Comey’s infamous Peter Strzok), Pete Buttigieg, etc, and media and HiTech executives.
And -- bravo for Lula -- long time ago Business Week quoted his outstanding solution for oil profits when price rises: Sharing between Brazil and oil companies in such profits; so simple and logical... Yet we overturned democratically elected and US educated economist - first president of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq for similar decision -- long forgotten in the US and always fresh in mind of every Persian.
Wishing well to Brazil (and to our beloved USA) with immense thanks, BP
The wrap up paragraphs at the end are eloquent....every empire is biggest right before it ends. The grandiosity, arrogance, and just showing off are a sure sign of emptiness of heart in persons and in institutions.
"abandonment of the journalistic function" describes our situation in the US perfectly, as applied to the MSM, and now, social media to boot. The solution is to withdraw support from those powerful influences, and at the same time, support the voices who would return and maintain integrity in the journalistic function, such as Glenn here at this site. But let's not forget the others who also campaign through their practice of journalism - REAL journalism:. Matt Taibbi, Aaron Mate', & others. Collectively, we have the power to bring them back from the fringes where the neoliberals would like to place them and keep them.
Just to add some points - when I was last in Brazil (2018) I spoke with a number of 'blue-collar' workers who ended up voting for Bolsonaro - they were PT voters but basically explained that they felt "no choice" because the Brazilian economy was, by then, deeply into malaise. It did grow robustly on the back of global flows til 2014, but had become anemic 2015-
Some young people I spoke to were looking to move out of the country.
And there is no hiding the fact that it's hard to find an honest politician or party in Brazil. Lula's own son went from being an intern at the zoo to one of the richest men in Brazil once his father was elected President.
If we think back to 2003, we can recall that PT ran on an anti-corruption platform but proved to be playing the same game as everyone else. If anything, it was Dilma's impeachment that was the real shameful railroading of recent Brazilian politics.
Glenn's birthday was this weekend 🥳 He made a wish, blew out some candles, and 2 days later Lula was free. Coincidence? I think not! 😋 Let's have some vegan cake and coconut ice cream 🍨 🎂🥰🎈🎉🥧🍦
This is very scary. When you pair this with Bari Weiss's article on the current mis-education of the next generation of Nazi Elites that are being programed to accept and act on whatever they are ordered one must fear for the future of our beloved country. I don't know that we can survive when one portion of our country believes in and lives the lies they are being told while the rest have only contempt and a dollop of fear for all the wokerati hold dear!
I guess we are going to see is a House Divided Against Itself can survive or not.
Thank you Glenn. I completely agree with your point of view on what happened in Brazil prior to Dilma's impeachment that lead to the imprisonment of Lula. I also agree that it's not guaranteed that he will come back and win another election. Something happens in Brazil where the worker class have a hard time to identifying themselves as working class, differently from Germany, for example. If you have a car in Brazil you already think you are in another class of people and that those supporting the poor are against you. This manipulation of the media putting people on different sides when they should be on the same side is really hard to dismantle. I know this analysis is not very profound but it is my sentiment as a Brazilian who came to live in different parts of the world. The Brazilian middle class have some kind of nasty hate for poor people. It sickens me. Even if they find themselves impoverished after 3 months of unemployment because that's what middle class means in Brazil. 3 months... 2 weeks and they can no longer pay their credit card. The destruction of the worker's rights was one of the first things that went down the drain. But people think: oh, it's giving workers the power to negotiate? What? I think the entire middle class needs to become poor to understand who they should side with.
So Lulu, who the American press told me was a communist did this non-communist thing:
“in order to win in 2002 after three losses, made many compromises with neoliberalism, including selecting a banker as his Vice President, and pursuing pro-growth policies that allowed the oligarchical class to thrive).”
Which resulted in this:
“Brazil experienced massive economic growth under Lula’s two terms, eventually passing the UK to become the world’s sixth largest economy (it is now back to twelfth); millions were lifted out of poverty;”
Is this an example that communism doesn’t work or did Lulu actually significantly grow the economy with socialist economic policies? I am curious to know since I have never heard Brazil used as an example of socialist economics growing an economy. Anyone in the know have any insight into this?
"...abusing the force of law, propaganda and state processes to destroy those whom the population was not supposed to elect." That reminds me, of the democrats abusing their power to oust a president during his four years in office and how they finally ended his presidency.
Nice piece. Our reporting on other countries is poor to non-existent. Excellent connection of corruption in Brazil to corruption in our system. Thanks.
I am not that educated at Brazil’s political affairs so I won’t comment on what happened to him. But based on your description this sounds exactly what happened and is still happening to ironically the opposite political side in America. How many corrupt democrats have been held accountable? How many obvious rioters got held accountable last year? Biden’s son, brother, etc got held accountable? Did orange man get harassed with obviously politically corrupt abuses of the judicial system? Spied on? Bogus charges of him enriching himself in office? What happened to people like Roger Stone, Papadopolous? The obvious self defence cases like Kyle Rittenhouse, the McColskey couple etc?
Not doing a whataboutism. Obviously what happened in Brazil is wrong (if your description is accurate and based on your previous honest reporting, I have no doubt it is). Just pointing out how this should teach a lesson to the democrats who are encouraging things like censorship, abuse of judicial system to punish political opponents. The abusive system they are happily supporting will one day come back to bite them in the a$$. And there may not be people left to feel bad then. Just like they came for Alex Jones and Milo, they also came for Tulsi Gabbard and Justice Clarence Thomas. No one gets spared.
GG I am a Brazilian residing in America for over 30 years and, your article was absolutely great! Thx
The more I read Mr. Greenwald’s columns, the more I wonder, does anybody have the balls to acknowledge that it’s sociopathy that drives these people, regardless of politics, business, industry, even community affairs…
Sociopathy is the true pandemic across the globe, and you folks better figure out what it is…
Again, my definition is rather simple: relentless lying; pathological hypocrisy; causing despicable vile harm chaos and death; showing absolutely no remorse for consequences to innocent responsible humans; and finally, cruel and vicious mocking and disdaining healthy accepted boundaries set by society for generations.
You can’t play nice with hate, lust for power, and disregard for life.
But, keep playing the game of trying to be civil polite and tolerant to evil.
That’s the message these columns wind up reminding me.
But, at least Mr. Greenwald is being as honest and accountable as one could hope.
First - congratulations on your courage and major efforts !! Bolsonaro clique is a very dangerous crime family, much adored by right-wing extremists in the US security apparatus. Like you, I am still grieving about horrible assassination of another Brazil's political star, Marielle Franco. Please take care to protect yourself and your family.
Your warnings for the US are very timely. We all know how The Intercept, which you co-founded, silenced you regarding massive corruption in Biden's family. Since that time, despite that Trump defeated himself by his incompetence in virus handling, there has NOT been a peep in the corporate press about that huge and global corruption case.
Biden administration and oligarchs behind it totally control HiTech monopolies (Amazon, Google/YouTube, Facebook, Tweeter, etc.) - all for years deeply integrated into huge US surveillance/"security" apparatus. The recent letter by two California House "lifers" and otherwise for years useless Democrats Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney to CEO's of cable companies are truly unparalleled and represents the rise of fascism in the US -- under a guise of "fighting fascism." All these multiple attacks (note similarities with Brazil) are clearly carefully choreographed and coordinated -- easily predicted and well understood since we should always keep in mind that there is one HUGE elephant in the room:
The scam of the century - the now 5-year long Russia-gate hoax initiated by Obama/Biden administration
The Russia-gate hoax and two-impeachment “entertainments” were concocted by neo-liberals Obama/Hillary/Biden/Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Ruskin, etc., etc. -- and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military and security industry donors, i.e., the War party
By far the absolutely highest need of Biden government and its DNC oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be exposed.
This represents a new phase of US domestic politics -- on foreign policy oligarchs of both parties are united.
Hence immense obligations to primary corrupt propagandists for their roles, including despicable Kamala Harris (Hillary’s protégé), Neera Tanden, Melissa Hodgman (wife of the Comey’s infamous Peter Strzok), Pete Buttigieg, etc, and media and HiTech executives.
And -- bravo for Lula -- long time ago Business Week quoted his outstanding solution for oil profits when price rises: Sharing between Brazil and oil companies in such profits; so simple and logical... Yet we overturned democratically elected and US educated economist - first president of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq for similar decision -- long forgotten in the US and always fresh in mind of every Persian.
Wishing well to Brazil (and to our beloved USA) with immense thanks, BP
The wrap up paragraphs at the end are eloquent....every empire is biggest right before it ends. The grandiosity, arrogance, and just showing off are a sure sign of emptiness of heart in persons and in institutions.
"abandonment of the journalistic function" describes our situation in the US perfectly, as applied to the MSM, and now, social media to boot. The solution is to withdraw support from those powerful influences, and at the same time, support the voices who would return and maintain integrity in the journalistic function, such as Glenn here at this site. But let's not forget the others who also campaign through their practice of journalism - REAL journalism:. Matt Taibbi, Aaron Mate', & others. Collectively, we have the power to bring them back from the fringes where the neoliberals would like to place them and keep them.
Just to add some points - when I was last in Brazil (2018) I spoke with a number of 'blue-collar' workers who ended up voting for Bolsonaro - they were PT voters but basically explained that they felt "no choice" because the Brazilian economy was, by then, deeply into malaise. It did grow robustly on the back of global flows til 2014, but had become anemic 2015-
Some young people I spoke to were looking to move out of the country.
And there is no hiding the fact that it's hard to find an honest politician or party in Brazil. Lula's own son went from being an intern at the zoo to one of the richest men in Brazil once his father was elected President.
If we think back to 2003, we can recall that PT ran on an anti-corruption platform but proved to be playing the same game as everyone else. If anything, it was Dilma's impeachment that was the real shameful railroading of recent Brazilian politics.
Seems like Glenn is a major sh-t disturber in two languages. Keep up the good work!
Incredibly powerful piece here, Glenn. I only knew the most meager outline of this story until now. Thank you. *This* is why I'm a subscriber!
Glenn's birthday was this weekend 🥳 He made a wish, blew out some candles, and 2 days later Lula was free. Coincidence? I think not! 😋 Let's have some vegan cake and coconut ice cream 🍨 🎂🥰🎈🎉🥧🍦
Glenn, are the allegations in this article https://www.brasilwire.com/lava-jato-hacker-walter-delgatti-speaks/ true? They imply the intercept failed to disclose the information until recently. Of all people on earth you should have some input on this.
This is very scary. When you pair this with Bari Weiss's article on the current mis-education of the next generation of Nazi Elites that are being programed to accept and act on whatever they are ordered one must fear for the future of our beloved country. I don't know that we can survive when one portion of our country believes in and lives the lies they are being told while the rest have only contempt and a dollop of fear for all the wokerati hold dear!
I guess we are going to see is a House Divided Against Itself can survive or not.
Thank you Glenn. I completely agree with your point of view on what happened in Brazil prior to Dilma's impeachment that lead to the imprisonment of Lula. I also agree that it's not guaranteed that he will come back and win another election. Something happens in Brazil where the worker class have a hard time to identifying themselves as working class, differently from Germany, for example. If you have a car in Brazil you already think you are in another class of people and that those supporting the poor are against you. This manipulation of the media putting people on different sides when they should be on the same side is really hard to dismantle. I know this analysis is not very profound but it is my sentiment as a Brazilian who came to live in different parts of the world. The Brazilian middle class have some kind of nasty hate for poor people. It sickens me. Even if they find themselves impoverished after 3 months of unemployment because that's what middle class means in Brazil. 3 months... 2 weeks and they can no longer pay their credit card. The destruction of the worker's rights was one of the first things that went down the drain. But people think: oh, it's giving workers the power to negotiate? What? I think the entire middle class needs to become poor to understand who they should side with.
So Lulu, who the American press told me was a communist did this non-communist thing:
“in order to win in 2002 after three losses, made many compromises with neoliberalism, including selecting a banker as his Vice President, and pursuing pro-growth policies that allowed the oligarchical class to thrive).”
Which resulted in this:
“Brazil experienced massive economic growth under Lula’s two terms, eventually passing the UK to become the world’s sixth largest economy (it is now back to twelfth); millions were lifted out of poverty;”
Is this an example that communism doesn’t work or did Lulu actually significantly grow the economy with socialist economic policies? I am curious to know since I have never heard Brazil used as an example of socialist economics growing an economy. Anyone in the know have any insight into this?
"...abusing the force of law, propaganda and state processes to destroy those whom the population was not supposed to elect." That reminds me, of the democrats abusing their power to oust a president during his four years in office and how they finally ended his presidency.
Nice piece. Our reporting on other countries is poor to non-existent. Excellent connection of corruption in Brazil to corruption in our system. Thanks.