The End of the Republic in Brazil

Today, 5th of August 2010, thanks to the brilliant performance of the left wing in power, specially the president’s Worker’s Party, in Congress, will be sent to be signed by the president a bill that would leave Gen. Medici or Gen. Geisel (former military presidents from Brazil) "very proud" of Lulla[1].

The bill gives law enforcement powers to the Armed Forces! Something that neither the military when were in power had the courage to do. Now, if a colonel or a corporal wants to hold someone on the street and arrest him or her, will have authority to do so, even if the justification is to patrol the border, which is, by the way, the job of Federal Police (Brazilian FBI), thanks to the left wing government... Once law enforcement powers is law enforcement powers...

But as if this were not enough, the bill also creates the position of the military superminister and “de facto” removes from the president the function of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, since will be the Minister of Defense who is going to have the power to chose the Commanders of the Forces, general and flag officers, to be appoint by the President. For doing a preliminary screening, the Minister will have a decisive power in choosing general and flag officers.

Actually, Golbery was a genius! (former mastermind behind most of military governments in Brazil)

Pity that this process is exactly what is destroying the Republic. Actually, the intention is once more humiliate military and show that the appointment of Commanders of the Forces, general and flag officers is something so insignificant and irrelevant that can be done by anyone. As a consolation prize, the bill creates the figure of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The problem is that this argument is strictly idiot by definition, as it does not take into account the fact that the Armed Forces are armed, and this process only creates more resentment, which in itself further increases the power of the Minister.

The Minister being whoever he/she is can capitalize on this situation to increase his/her power and thereby threaten the republican structure.

It begins thus creating the conditions necessary for the destabilization of the Republic. Remember that an old project of the military commanders is that the Minister of Defense should be a military one. This bill also creates inside the military the conditions necessary to support this demand.

MG Charles J. Dunlap Jr. warns in his paper "The Origins of Military Coup-North American 2012" (written in 1992) that through an uncontrolled increase of the powers given to military, including welfare and law enforcement powers, created the foundations that allowed the military coup. Fictional political-legal paper, it is a warning not to be ignored by the civil authority.

Lulla’s government undoubtly is a real right-wing government at the service of large Banks. One just needs to look at the support or congressional base it has. Not even the president, being an "emotional" man[2], seems to be aware of the bill that sits on his desk and the terrible consequences that it may have.

Being sanctioned this bill; it is irrelevant who will be the next President of Brazil. The main question will be "Who will be our leader? Who will be the future Minister of Defense?”.

Ary S. Dib Dias Filho

1- As a reminder of Lula’s betrayal of ethics principles his name is usually written with double “l”. It’s a reference to the former Brazilian president Collor who was impeached for corruption and nowadays, elected Senator by Alagoas State, is considered by Lula a great and honest leadership.

2- Lulla was called an emotional man and ill informed by the Iranian Government.