So, after two months after arriving in Brazil I am now able to comment on some first impressions of this country and its society. Being driven to Brazil due to the continuous emphasis that experts put on its emerging economy and rapid development, I was eager to see the product that economic growth and steady modernization looked like in Latin America's largest and most influential country. Maybe I held the misconception that economic growth, rapid modernization (whatever that means), and steady rise in international influence meant an improvement in living standards, reduction in extreme poverty, and an overall development in social well-being. Yet, I must say that I have been largely disappointed by what I have seen.
In other words, I do not see the benefits of economic growth. I do not see prosperity anywhere. The streets are still filled with poverty, misery, and injustice. Although Brazil's GDP is exponentially larger than other Latin American countries, I do not see a significant difference in the country's infrastructure, health care, nor do I see it in the government's provision of public services. To put it all into context, Brazil does not even come close to the US, Canada, or any of the Western European countries in terms of quality of life, yet Brazil has a larger GDP than many of nations considered developed. On the contrary, Brazil is filled with deplorable levels of inequality, embarrassing levels of corruption, and a deteriorating system of government. To be honest, I think other criticized South American nations are way better off than Brazil. I can assure you that, as a Colombian national having spent some time living Colombia and in Brazil, I feel less ripped off and lied to by the Colombian government than any Brazilian here feels about their own government. Why is this? Three simple reasons: 1) Brazilian politicians make almost three times what a Colombian politician makes. 2) Although Brazil has a significantly larger GDP and is also exponentially more powerful in regards to its resources, which should essentially mean more money to invest in the country, the conditions of its infrastructure, its health care system, and the government's provision of public goods and services are as mediocre or even worse than that of Colombia. 3) Colombians and the Colombian government can at least partially blame 50+ years of internal civil war for its inability to bring economic and social prosperity to the country. Yes, Brazil has gone through two dictatorships (Gertulio Vargas 1930-1945 and the authoritarian regime that ruled Brazil from April 1, 1964 to March 15, 1985) which gives many people the possibility to argue that this is the root cause behind Brazil's various socio-economic problems. However, if we take a look at Chile's and Argentina's experience with dictatorships and their aftermath, we can see that these two countries are currently far better off than Brazil in various aspects of social well-being. Hence, reading scholarly work and hearing academics talk about Brazil being one of the most important emerging economies, and seeing mass media outlets place Brazil as an economic model that other countries should seek to follow...I must say that I do not want anything to do with this type of economic growth and modernization. Seeing small children living under a bridge that marks the boundary between Sao Paulo's luxurious neighbourhoods and the favelas which are home to the city's 'mendigos', begging for money, and waiting for the day to bring them something to eat while my most cars pass by ignoring this part of Brazilian reality reassures me that there is a big hole in the definition of economic growth and modernization. Who is to blame for this? How does media shape the way we perceive and accept this reality? Does the media help shape these perceptions of economic prosperity and modernization?
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August 2019
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