It always makes me laugh when Republicans talk about “radical” Democrats or the “radical” left as if there were actually a radical left in the United States of America.
Anyone who knows anything about political history knows that the United States hasn’t had a “radical” left since before World War II. What Americans think is “radical” — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — would be moderate leftists in the rest of the world.
If you want to see a true leftist, you can take a look at Lula da Silva, who just regained the presidency of Brazil. In deeply divided Brazil, “Lula” just won a squeaker of an election (50.9% to 49.1%) over the fascist Jair Bolsonaro, who has (of course) yet to concede the election.
The “Trump of the Tropics” (as Bolsonaro is known) has taken a page out of the Trump playbook and announced ahead of time that he would not recognize the legitimacy of the election if he didn’t win.
Oh boy.
This seems to be the new playbook for right-wing scoundrels of all kinds.
In any case, Lula is an avowed trade unionist and socialist, whereas Bolsonaro is a former army captain and admirer of the military governments that ruled Brazil for decades. Like the United States, Brazil is split right down the middle, except that the two parties are much further apart.
Hold on to your seats, by the way, because later this week we’re going to have another election in Israel, the 5th in 3½ years. Israel is another country that is stuck in an election rut, where they keep electing the same parties, none of whom can win an outright parliamentary victory in order to form a government. And Israel still has their 600 lb gorilla — 73 year old Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in and out of office since 1993 — and is now under indictment for corruption.
But then, Lula was convicted of corruption, although that was overturned by the Brazilian Supreme Court because the judges were biased.
At this rate, Trump will be indicted and convicted and then re-elected as President anyway.
What a world we have these days!
