Intrasystemic squid

And in this dull march, in this slow pace, full of agreements, mistakes and disappointments, man survived...

< Poverty, Unions and Cachaça >

I must admit, like General Leônidas Pires (in an interview with Globonews), that former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, although he was not a good citizen, in the Aristotelian sense of the concept, was – however – an "intra-national" citizen. -systemic"; that is, he never took up arms or conspired to take power by force and, recently, even seeing his party being destroyed, he accepted being arrested as determined by justice, endorsing the words of the aforementioned General. For this reason, despite being a populist [just like the damned Getúlio Vargas], Mr. Lula did not raise arms against his compatriots, but always sought dialogue to resolve conflicts, so that he placed himself in a position one hundred times more noble than the dictator of 1930.

Furthermore, unlike many effeminate left-wing militants who went into exile, or in the words of General Leônidas Pires: fled abroad; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva agreed to serve his sentence in his own country in order to demonstrate to the people that he was still fighting. An interesting addendum about these exiles, or fugitives, as the General said, is that none of them went to a communist country, but to liberal countries, such as England, Switzerland, France, etc. You can see that I make an effort to praise the former president.

I must also admit that, although I did not vote for Mr Lula, due to my natural prejudices of seeing an uncultured person in charge of the nation, internally I was satisfied with his victory, not only because I realized that the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government was a hoax, but also because the privatization program was a disaster for the goal of state self-sufficiency. However, already in 2003, President Lula surprised his own supporters with the reform of the PT's Social Security in which, in addition to the worker being obliged to contribute for another seven years, he also innovated with the item that "rightist" no one tried or could achieve: the taxation of the inactive, and in the absurdity of 11%.

Mr. Luís Inácio Lula da Silva betrayed the workers in the first year of his mandate, and this fact was even the last straw for the party's old guard, giving rise to the PSOL.

The first accusation made by Heloísa Helena, founding leader of the PSOL, against the PT, was the choice of José Alencar (from the PL) as vice president on the presidential ticket. With the elections won, Lula invites Palocci and Meirelles to the Treasury and the Central Bank, respectively. The final point was the Pension Reform; the Workers' Party voting against the workers. Lula personally delivered the project to Congress; paraphrased Julius Caesar: "The die is cast!" (I thought it was hilarious!); and to complete the refinement of freaks, Mr. José Genoíno [then leader of the PT in the Chamber] threatened to expel Federal Deputies from the party who did not obey the order to betray the people. Nothing is more sinister and, however, predictable if we look at the profile of our populist former president.

Lula is a survivor. He lived from childhood on the razor's edge, between the cross and the sword, and learned to deceive God and the devil; and from then on, being a trade unionist to manipulate bosses and employees for their own benefit was very easy. He knows the language of the people and part of the language of the rich, being a middleman, an amphibian, a hybrid being, an information trafficker, a double game agent (always has been).

In 1989, in a debate with Fernando Collor, he was asked: "Lula, why don't you start the Agrarian Reform with your vice-presidential candidate?" The playboy adds: "If you're not a communist, why do they sing the Internationale at every Party meeting? Why don't they sing the Brazilian anthem?" – Indeed, memorable passages.

The Lula government, like every populist government, was concerned with combating the symptoms of social problems and not their true and profound causes. There is no structural change in the State during his command, but rather the distribution of assistance for electoral purposes and of social anesthetics that – in fact –, in the long term, do more harm than solve the ills of the population.

Following this path, Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in fact, tripled the minimum wage of the Brazilian population. However, the consequences of this (without employing the population in infrastructure and development works) caused our public debt to double during the years in which the PT governed us. Another debt problem, with its internalization, was the difference between external and internal interest rates, that is, much higher ones. Also, in fact, the zero hunger program would alleviate the suffering of the most needy population, but it would be much better if the PT government had stimulated employment and, within this employment, a human development course to improve the educational conditions of the population. Mere assistance, the mere distribution of income, without investment in durable goods and ("better still") in fixed capital goods, is a waste of resources. Another strategic mistake made by former president Lula, but probably with José Dirceu behind him, was to dismiss former senator Cristovam Buarque from the education portfolio. Reason: Buarque wanted to invest – as always – in the federalization of basic education, in order (mainly through children) to save future generations. For reasons of election, José Dirceu wanted to invest in technical schools and universities with his project of perpetuating the PT in power and not in a project of evolution of Brazil.

The Lula case, from a legal point of view, also followed the characteristics of the former president as a politician. Everything in his life is an agreement, middle ground, give and take, and so, once again Lula complies with yet another protocol and spends some time in prison, being guilty (I am also convinced, just like silly Moro), but without there is proof, as I am absolutely sure.

The PT has always shielded Lula very well. Whoever wins a ruby-studded golden sword from the Queen of England, among 700 other treasures, is not corrupted by a triplex or renovations. The triplex is the "piranha ox", as the cowboy says. José Dirceu's strategic mistake was trying to throw the "corpse of corruption" into Roberto Jefferson's lap. Dirceu, Ciro Gomes, Eduardo Campos and Aldo Rebelo went to beg Roberto to withdraw his signature from the CPI of the Post Office. The first time, at Roberto Jefferson's house, they were not received. In the second, Dirceu and one of them entered almost clandestinely... However, the agreement was: the signature for the CPI of the Post Office would be withdrawn, but Dirceu would stop ordering the press to hit Jefferson.

The PT leader (and candidate for the presidential succession) did not fulfill his part and pitted one of the best "political bosses" of today against him. Even so, Lula's almost impeccable interview on the Roda Viva program, in 2005, and his behavior from then on, saying that "he was betrayed by everyone", sustained himself and the PT for another 10 years in power.

The descent began.

Step by step towards death, the workers' party saw its own body degenerate. To win the election, they sold their souls to the devil and the time for payment has arrived. Despite this, the protagonist of this chronicle still negotiates, "puts the goat in the room", argues, hits the table, leaves... This ability to see someone humble so resourceful, so proud, is what amazes everyone!

And so, all of us were impressed by Lula, just as my brother Tiago and I were astonished, when we were young, with the 5 meters covered by the tortoise, while we were distracted talking. No one is jealous of him except those below (maybe?).

And in that dull march, in that slow rhythm, full of agreements, mistakes and disappointments, the man survived among unions, poverty and cachaça. He eased the pain of his and has a hint of my respect for the eventual maintenance of the concept: "Primus inter pares". For Brazil it was not good, but for the people it seemed good. This is enough for the poor in goods and spirit.

Douglas Mattos.

Philosopher.

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