As soon we hear the name Trump, we immediately have some positive and negative connotations. Whether you like or hate him, the name Trump is seen just about everywhere. At least in the U.S., there isn’t one day where we can’t read something about Trump. And now, we’re a out to hear a whole lot more about Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s new president. They say he really is the next Trump.
As a member of the Social Liberal Party (PSL), Bolsonaro launched what people called a right-wing campaign that attacked women, minorities, and the LGBT community. In the end, he won even without going face to face in a debate with his last opponent. Bolsonaro praised the military dictatorship and believed in an authoritarian government that was more efficient than the slow democracy that befell Brazil after the end of the military dictatorship in 1985.
Having dedicated himself to serving the military, he left after fake news ended his military career.
He stepped into politics and early on established himself as a rude and loud person. He says he is proud to be homophobic and would rather one of his sons die than be gay. Yet many supported him. He represented the voice of people who were afraid or didn’t want to state their views. He was a frank and honest person who spoke his mind without worrying about what others said. As BBC reports “He described “quilombolas”, as descendants of African former slaves are known, as people who “did nothing” and were too fat “even to breed”, criticising how much they cost the government in welfare programmes”. This is where people draw parallels to Trump. Except, Trump doesn't go out and say he hates LGBT and women. Like with Trump though, the media will take words out of context. Opponents say he wins by shouting an ending the conversation when he disagrees or trying to attack back. Do we see some similarities?But there’s also another reason why he won. He was the “underdog” or “new guy”. He repeatedly criticized the “reds” and threatened them with deportation or jail. So who are the reds? They are the Workers’ Party, or PT, the leftist group. The PT won four presidential elections and there was widespread corruption as Operation Car Wash revealed. Under the party, poverty and corruption rose. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the most recent, Dilma Rousseff, which cause immense international controversy, have all been charged and are on their way to jail and prison. Yeah, so obviously the PT isn’t going to win. Now we have this guy, who hasn’t done too much in the past, but was able to speak his mind and touch base with the “silent majority” and launch a successful campaign that spoke the truth (no matter how bad or nasty it was) and promised to tackle corruption. At least the guy isn’t corrupt, or at least isn't being seen as corrupt. In the U.S., we have to deal with the Russia problem.
His campaign machine was small and not super-well funded. Yet, he was able to attack the media, which by the way dubbed him “Trump of the Tropics”, and mastered social media. He used Twitter and YouTube to secure his base of followers, the “Bolsominions”. He gave off an aura of honesty and integrity in an period of political chaos. People say snapshots of his life. He stood for a traditional family and traditional values and garnered support of Brazil’s BBB triumvirate, “Bible, Bull, and Bullet”, which represented Evangelical churches, agribusiness, and pro-gun lobbyists.
At least Bolsonaro knows his limits and remains humble and simple. Yes, he may not resonate with the leftist groups, but he speaks on behalf of his moral values and what he believes. He knows he doesn’t understand economics well and is glad to have people who can help. After being stabbed in a homicide attack and left bedridden for some time, he recovered and fought even harder and got even more support. The motive for the attack? Some person believed god was against Bolsonaro.
As soon as he won the presidency, he quelled the fears of people who looked at his past and promised to support democracy and respect the constitution. One thing that still lurks is his statement that minorities would have to “bow to the majority… or disappear”.
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