There are very important moments in history when events accelerate sharply. Although we cannot perceive it in all its depth, we are living one of them. Be careful, be very careful because those accelerations can result in stumbles, if not accidental.
Two years ago, at the instigation of Donald Trump, a former president who did not admit his electoral defeat, far-right mobs stormed the Capitol. Bolsonaro’s extreme supporters overcame stupidity on his anniversary: they attacked the Parliament, the Presidency and the Supreme Court in Brasilia. Three powers. And one more thing, because they had been camping for two months in front of the Army Headquarters, demanding a coup. The instigators and financiers of such a complex and expensive operation – deforestation in the Amazon, ultra-conservative businessmen, climate change deniers, some churches, etc. President Lula Da Silva is promising a strong hand, especially against governors and police chiefs who turn a blind eye to these protests. However, the coup was effectively stopped by a note from Casablanca openly supporting the incoming president. The forces that wanted to end Brazilian democracy are dead. With Trump as a tenant, they would have coverage for misconduct.
Less than a year ago, President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine to change the map, and they turned the map on it. By that time, neutral countries such as Sweden and Finland had quickly joined NATO. Realizing its strategic mistake in relying on Russian gas and not relying on peace promises, Germany rearmed itself militarily and energetically. All countries are now investing more in defense and see space as an arena of competition and confrontation, which was not the case. The war exposed the embarrassment of the feared Russian army: outdated technologies, abundant but outdated supplies, inadequate tactical training, and an almost ridiculous strategic capability, according to Western military commanders. The (real) threat of the nuclear arsenal and the cruelty of its infantry accredited in repression against civilians is not enough. Putin was confident of a “general winter” that would freeze half of Europe and force it to surrender, but climate change has softened the challenges; this is bad news in another order.
With these proclaimed satraps—Trump, Bolsonaro, and Putin—plus those who share an ideology and method but still do not dare to express it, “we are living in an anti-democratic wave that threatens coexistence among people,” Professor Manuel Castells wrote. In La Vanguardia. Identifying the supporters of this dangerous trend and warning its presence in politics and society is essential to prevent the spread of the virus. No matter where you live, you lose out-of-pocket governments and politicians who disqualify key pacts as “illegitimate” if there is no majority. This isn’t just a tantrum. It is the open connection with that anti-democratic wave that threatens us. It then continues in the limitation of social and labor rights that have already been achieved and the deterioration of living conditions in a climate of health, education and freedoms.
The world in general is increasingly polarized; and even more clearly within each country. Politicians, communicators, judges and some economic powers are entrenched on both sides. Breaking blocks is a must. Everything happens at great speed. In competition with the top writers of the series populating the television platforms, the news (except for purely propaganda purposes) is a daily record of this momentum. Calmness and reflection.