Brazil
High up on the Concorado Hill, Rio – the statue, ‘Jesus Christ the Redeemer’ has had razor-wire fitted on the extended arms of the Saviour to stop would-be extreme parachutists from base jumping. The barbed wire, although not exactly a crown of thorns represents nicely the Brazilian pain over its 500 year history. However, they are the KINGS OF FOOTBALL and this time round the team is so super-strong, you’d need 22 players on the pitch to beat them. Speaking of strength the Amerindian population were powerful in the 16th century.
Sure the Portuguese invaders/conquerors turned a massive land mass into their own and they made sure the Dutch and French kept their mits of it but the locals were exterminated in most parts during the ‘assimilation’ with the Portuguese. Then if you throw in the many black African slaves that were forced into the country, which now dominate the populace today (and are still slaves) and then the European population during the 19th century then Brazil represents the most ambitious mix of people of all time. In fact racism in Brazil is an ‘unbailable’ crime (imposed in 1988) – and it is met with imprisonment.
The crime against racism unfortunately came too late for the many killed over the centuries due to race and creed. But let’s forget about that for the moment. Isn’t the football just marvellous to watch? And this time Kaka and cuddly Ronaldinho will be more involved than in 2002. You have Fat bastard Ronaldo who is trying to be the highest goal scorer and burger eater ever – he will be ably assisted by the young Marlon Brando look-a-like Adriano. Brazil could easily provide all 32 teams at the World Cup and no one would complain - except Argentina.
Brazil can for the meantime forget about the external debt of $220 billion owing, which even Bono can’t do anything about. It was high time (we are talking 1990 here), that common sense sorted out their finances (as flimsy as a G-string at Carnival time I guess) but these days the Brazilian economy is trying to detach itself from the political stranglehold – politics won’t bring smiles to the starving kiddies but football still does. The overall Brazilian infrastructure needs sorting out. You have low quality public services, widespread corruption (you name it, Brazil has some how corrupted it), they have the worst government bureaucracy in place. And don’t mention the poor (OK, it’s around 45 million, that’s 25% of the population) and they go genuinely hungry, doing shitty jobs and 1 in every 10th person is illiterate – hence the largest catholic population in the world!!!
The Rio police occasionally are nasty to the slum-street kids – well why not! Who can stop the vicious circle of drugs, crime and sex labour that develops in the slums of the big cities? The Rio carnival is a lot of fun – was this established to poke fun at the not so memorable 1900’s where Brazil could not compete at the Industrial level? Someone finally said – “democracy will fix everything” and yeah Brazil woke up and they were dumped out of Italia ’90 by old friends Argentina. At the same time the military were ready to take on the powerful(less) and were almost on the verge of circling the Brazilian congress in 1993 to sort out the continual corruption, cheating, lies and abuse of power – but they didn’t.
Brazil stands as a world enigma – a total inactivity on social problems as if poverty is a magnificent thing along with the senseless street violence, kidnappings and murders.
Shall I mention the Indian tribes again? Yanomano Indians, 75 of them were murdered by gold and tin miners – because they “got in the way”. Does violence beget violence? The consistent police raids (backed by military personnel) can testify as it combats violence, drugs and gang warfare and that’s just at a local Brazilian football match! So Brazil looks to winning its sixth World Cup, protect its shrinking rain forests, and one day, oh Jesus one day – a nationwide ban on the sale of firearms. But don’t bet on it because even in 2000 this logical idea was overturned and just like its northern neighbours (America) it would have violated their laws in the right to self-defence. It’s far safer to base-jump off Jesus’ marble arms than fall into his crumbling loving arms.
The future? They won’t concede a goal this time. They’ll win their group. It would take a stroke of Rooney magic to end their fame as the kings. Although they may just play Italy in the round of 16 and both nations will hold their breath. They may get to place this trophy next to the Jules Rimet one for ever as well.
Bottomless pit ranking? There was an outcry over the ‘accidental’ killing of a suspected terrorist in London in 2005 by British police. Brazilians were outraged, but not at home amongst the slums. Drug addicts, murder and the cruelty of being homeless for the many hundreds of millions in the daily grind towards Brazilian glory in Germany.
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