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February 17, 2014

Comments

Joe Conno

Hi RioGringa! Love reading your articles! Keep going, lots of topics this year!

bamabrasileira

I think that, before OTHER people can take Brazil seriously, it must take itself seriously! Brazil is still suffering "brain drain" of some of its most talented thinkers because it just isn't good enough, AND they are being aggressively wooed by places like Canada to help replenish dying populations. I think foreign people are simply reacting what the place shows them - that MANY people in Brazil could care less about anything. And if they DO claim to care, they will surely NOT make a responsible move to create change themselves. Oh No! They will complain to their friends about how crappy the government is and leave it at that. They will throw trash on the street, not support teachers in public schools responsible for educating the disadvantaged, and not take an active interest in politics so they can elect better leaders.

Try even finding comprehensive information on the internet written in English that can teach a foreign person about the place. You will have to dig a bit to find accurate historical information and you will need spend a lot of time digging through paradoxical information. If you do not live in Brazil, then much of what you read online will turn out to be BS anyway!

Can they really expect the world not to overly sexualize them when they CLEARLY oversexualize themselves (indeed, the myth that the MAJORITY of the women/people in Brazil are conservative Catholics who won't have sex till marriage is LAUGHABLE!). It is a priority of most of the women that I know to be SEXY! It is not to be educated or cultured!

Also, it is BRAZILLIANS who have given Apple the power you spoke of - NOT Apple itself! This is because a Brazilian or Chinese product,while much cheaper, will break within a week of buying. Savvy consumers know that Apple just represent higher standards, which is what many of them are searching for.

The author here has a soft spot for Brazil because she has lived here, has Brazilian friends and family, and knows the true ins and outs of some of the culture. People who are nto this intimately connected with the place, however, will have a much harder time even beginning to understand it or give it "its due".

Brazil cannot expect the world to magically take it seriously and make excuses for all the shortcomings of the place when they themselves are not even willing to do it!

Ric

Fantastic Blog Post!

Was looking for an article about Sammy Sosa and somehow ended up here. (*shrugs*) As a US Citizen who lived in Brasil for 10 months as an Exchange Student (Belem) in '85-'86 it was an amazing and unique time to start to get to know Brasil. I try to keep up with news, family, and events as best I can. In college for a time I was a Latin American Studies Major. (Wish I would have finished that Major).

I remember many a time that people would lament this the very same perception of Brasil. I look forward to continue following you through Facebook. Fantastic Blog!!!

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