Yeah, it started in São Paulo with protests because of fares rising less than 10%, but it was symptomatic of a much bigger and much deeper problem, something that has been brewing inside of every brazilian for decades. It's against corruption, against careless public spending, it's against everything that has held us back for all this time, despite this country having every resource it needs to become great. The problem is, this isn't a sign of raised awareness. There hasn't been any political awakening of any sort. The population is still composed of halfwits and corruptible minds.
But, with Syria, Turkey, Egypt and everything else that has going on in the world, some of the youth thought "Well, hey, why don't we just go, and do something like that?" and the others just mindlessly replied "Yeah, why not man, it might work", and so, it started. It has grown larger, yes, but the mentality of it is still that which i have just described.
There IS no new political leadership, the players are still the same, just shuffled around a bit. It's not an ideological movement severed from political parties, the way it should be if it were to actually work, actually change anything. Rather, it is just a bunch of fish writhing in a barrel, and the fisherman are still outside, having a good laugh of it all.
No, i don't believe nothing will change, because there isn't enough political awareness for it to change. The leaders of this movement will still come around and show themselves, and they will be tied to very familiar faces.
And even if it were a movement independent of political parties, it is doubtful that those revolting actually have the presence to actually go through with it all the way, like it has been done before.
You see, Brazil never actually had any real revolutions. Our Independence wasn't fought with blood and guts, it was negotiated by men in fancy suits with whiskey, wine and cigars. Sure, there was a mock "war" but it was all play and pretend. Same thing happened when the Empire fell and became a Republic. The players all remained more or less the same, just switched around a bit. The Military dictatorship was a coup d'etat with minimal bloodshed, and the military were actually receiving standing ovations when they took power. It was only through the years that they managed to screw up bad enough for all the bad publicity to finally change the sheeple's mind that they eventually were brought down. Even so, no bloodshed necessary. A peaceful transition. The Collor impeachment was also a very peaceful process. Those in power sought it to be so. It was actually so peaceful, that the impeached president actually managed, after the political restrictions on him were lifted, to be elected Senator.
We are not belligerent. We are accommodated, and that is a cultural thing. As a people, we aren't even ARMED enough to actually take up arms against the army, if the government were to use it to repress any revolution.
To actually take down the pillars of this temple the powers that be have erected, many lives would need to be lost, many and more. And our people are NOT up to the task. And so, the movement will continue, but it will be limited, it will be controlled, it will only do exactly what it is needed, and then it will be shut off.
Some concessions will be made, some things will change, but not the big picture. Again, a little shuffling required, but nothing really major. And i bet that five years from now, when the next presidential election comes around, we won't even remember things the way they really happened.
Am i cynical? Why wouldn't i be? Nothing here has ever given me cause to think differently. And i, for all the love i have for the violent history of mankind, am somewhat a pacifist, in that i believe that wars and revolutions, and any kind of violent protests and manifestations need to be the last resort.
Many better ways exist, to actually change things, and it starts from the inside. The tools we need to change are already here, and we don't need to go out on the streets and burn up cars, break windows, deface public property or otherwise behave like ordinary monkeys in order to do actual CHANGE.
Because WORDS have actual power, and this is the era of information. If only people had more conscience, more awareness, and actually made use of such wealth of information that is available, we wouldn't need any of this that is happening, and we sure don't need it right now, when there are two major worldwide events happening in successive years.
All this talk about power to the people is tiresome and misinformed, it is vomited throughout the social medias by pawns of those who are in actual control of it all, and every stoner college student with Che Gueveara T-Shirts embraces it like it was the ultimate absolute truth, coming forth from God himself.
I, on the other hand, am a free thinker, and i see that there are no sides to be picked, because the political scenery in Brazil has the same variety as a coin with two heads and no tails. No matter how you flip it, it lands the same way, every time.
So, i do what i do best, and make complaining about it a sport. When i am in a position to do what i think is best, i will do so, and when i can't, will just go along for the ride. Won't leave my position of comfort to do anything when i know it is a hopeless cause, when i know that there are better ways of going about it, like finishing my Law degree and actually achieving a position of power, all the while staying more or less quiet about all of it, with the occasional public facebook post complaing about it all. Or a forum post, such as this.
And what do you know, i just wrote most of what i think about all of it, and look at the wordcount.