Tag: President

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My quick thoughts on Jair Bolsonaro’s candidacy for president of Brazil

I have been asked a few times my thoughts on the controversial Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s leading candidate for the presidency. Bolsonaro was stabbed at a rally yesterday. The reports indicate that while he is in a stable condition, full recovery is still uncertain a. His fans will likely view his cause with a greater martyr-like passion and his opponents–populating the major networks in Brazil will outdo themselves in advertisements against him in these final 30 days.

Bolsonaro has been named as the Brazilian Donald Trump. He has received the kind of press Donald Trump has for speaking his mind. For example, he opines openly about sexuality issues condemning the public education system for their graphic school books on anal sex and other homosexual acts. He also wants to enact a policy that sexual abusers shall be chemically castrated which has been interpreted as homophobic by many and received strong opposition from human rights’ activists largely on the left of Brazil’s politics.

He has a general disposition towards de-bureaucratizing government policies. The man who will lead his economics department is a firm believer in more limited government and privatization. Bolsonaro also has a similar Trumpian view of trading with China. Bloomberg summarizes his position:
China is currently Brazil’s biggest trading partner but Bolsonaro has serious reservations about Chinese investment in Brazil. He says Brazil should trade with China, but says he’d like “trade with the United States to be much larger” than with the Asian nation. He prefers “great partnerships” with U.S. firms instead of “making concessions to the Chinese.”
Jair Bolsonaro has a military background which makes his central agenda the security of the Brazilian people which is one reason his numbers are so high at this stage in the election cycle. Brazil’s violence continues to soar under the current presidency. The New York Times observes:
With 62,517 violent deaths in 2016, Brazil reached a record-high homicide rate of more than 30 per 100,000 residents, according to the latest annual study that compiles law enforcement and health statistics. (In the United States that rate dropped to five homicides per 100,000 people from eight from 1996 to 2015.)
In my estimation, Bolsonaro will be a needed change from leftist politics that have dominated the country for almost two decades. Honestly, he needs to win. If the Brazilian political system is not shaken now, the country will become a glorified version of Venezuela.
  1. Thanks to Marcos Romano for the update  (back)
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Ten Lessons from the Trump Victory

Ten lessons from Trump’s victory tonight:
 
1) The messianic nature of Obama’s administration is over. He could not convert the nation. Barack Obama’s charisma did not translate into a national movement in favor of liberal policies neither did his campaigning on behalf of Hillary accomplish what Democrats expected. Further, the Bernie Sanders “revolution” was short-lived. Socialism is still as dangerous as it has always been.
2) Democrats underestimated the anger of the nation towards Washington D.C. Don’t trust the media. Don’t trust polls. This is the defeat of the elite.
3) Hillary was persecuted by her own e-mails throughout her entire campaign. Trump should send Comey and Weiner “Thank You” notes.
4) Liberals need to understand that the conservative/evangelical support for the pro-life cause is more than an emotional response, but a passionate conviction for the humanity and rights of the unborn. The third debate re-energized skeptical Republicans. Clinton’s late-term abortion defense is simply barbaric. The Supreme Court still matters.
5) As a Latino who entered this country legally and endured the lengthy process towards citizenship, I think the Democratic Party failed to understand why many of us favor the rule of law when it comes to legal immigration.
6) We are an entertainment-driven culture. We love the image of a conqueror, even if his victory comes at the expense of others. We need to repent of our greater love of mammon over morality.
7) Donald Trump needs an army of wise counselors.
8) The pessimism of many that the country is doomed apart from a Trump presidency is a sad description of an idolatrous view of politics. If our Lord suffered under Pontius Pilate and was victorious over Nero, the Church can succeed under any presidency.
9) We need to return to the basics. We need to return to our first love. We need to take these coming days, months and years to re-acquaint ourselves with the Christian faith and creed. We are an ignorant people. We don’t know our Bibles. We need a Christian populace that is educated in Christian ethics and Biblical Theology. We need to regroup and reconsider our strategy in the Church. We ultimately need a Gospel revolution.
10) This nation needs so much healing. The concerns of minority communities are not being heard. Trump’s rhetoric needs to change dramatically. These communities have legitimate fears and dismissing their concerns only increase division in the nation. We need to be cautious about our words and assumptions about fellow image-bearers. I have heard and read things these last two years that should never be uttered by anyone who claims the name of Christ.
 
Finally, there is so much more to say, but I end reiterating what I said in a previous post: “God is not mocked, but he is grieved when those who trust in him turn against one another. Let us save our friendships. Let us repent of how we have offended one another in these past months. And then let us fast and pray and seek God’s face together.”