Don't Call the Brazil Insurrection 'Anti-Democratic'

[Nevilledog]

https://www.thebulwark.com/dont-call-the-brazil-insurrection-anti-democratic/

The upheaval that took place in Brazil on Sunday—an assault on government buildings by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president who lost the country’s Oct. 30 election—has generally been described as an “attack on democracy.” That’s what President Joe Biden and the leaders of Mexico and Canada called it in a joint statement on Monday. The European Union says it was an “anti-democratic storming of government quarters.” The American embassy in Brazil calls it an “anti-democratic protest.” The New York Times says it’s an “anti-democracy riot.” Other reports characterize it as an “anti-democratic riot” by “anti-democracy insurrectionists” or “anti-democratic demonstrators.”

It’s true that if the assault had succeeded in reinstalling Bolsonaro, it would have overturned Brazilian democracy. But it’s not true that the assailants understood themselves or their mission as anti-democratic. Most of them, subjectively, were pro-democratic. They believed that Bolsonaro had won the election, and therefore, they were defending democracy, not attacking it.

This isn’t just a cute semantic distinction. It’s crucial to averting, or at least defeating, a new kind of insurrection against legitimately elected governments in advanced countries.

In a traditional anti-democratic coup, the military or the armed opposition seizes power in overt defiance of a previous election. But that isn’t what happened in the United States two years ago. Donald Trump summoned a mob to Washington and unleashed it on the U.S. Capitol not by calling for the overthrow of the government but by claiming, falsely, that he was the duly elected head of the government. He used fictitious allegations of election fraud to manipulate his followers. They stormed the Capitol believing that they were defending, not deposing, the winner of the election.

*snip*

[gab13by13]

1. The Brazil Insurrection was Anti-Democratic,

There, I said it.

I don't care if the unwashed people were duped by the anti-Democratic leaders of the insurrection, they were most likely paid by them to attack government buildings.

It is not OK for people who are duped into believing that an election was rigged to resort to violence to resolve their grievances.

As the pro-Democratic people who took to the streets of Brazil the day after the insurrection chanted, "no amnesty for the insurrectionists."

[Eyeball_Kid]

2. Brazilians were told that it would be a party.

Trump told his worshippers that "it will be wild."

[myohmy2]

3. fascism is a global disease...

...we had better get our own 'anti-democratic insurrectionists' under control or democracy faces extinction...

...if we can't defend or save our own democracy no other democratic country will be able to either...

...two years is a long time to have this global fascist movement still gaining strength...

...I'm worried...

[brush]

4. Come on. Whoever was behind the attempt were certainly...

anti-democratic. The protestors had uniforms and banners in ENGLISH for media consumption. Who paid for all that, nd the protestors transportation to the riots?

Puhleeze.

[magicarpet]

5. A Fascistic takeover/overthrow of government.... a purposeful and intentional.....

... disregard of the democratic process often by means of violence.

Coup de'tat and/or Junta - (civilian directed rather than military directed junta - as in the case of the Lulu/Balsonaro election and attempts to void/disregard.)

~~~~~~

As defined by Encyclopedia Britannica;

Junta

political committee of governmental takeover

junta, (Spanish: “meeting”), committee or administrative council, particularly one that rules a country after a coup d’etat and before a legal government has been established. The word was widely used in the 16th century to refer to numerous government consultative committees. The Spanish resistance to Napoleon’s invasion (1808) was organized by the juntas provinciales; the national committee was the junta suprema central. In subsequent civil wars or revolutionary disturbances in Spain, Greece, or Latin America, similar bodies, elected or self-appointed, have usually been called juntas.

[Takket]

6. What a crock of shit

Their guy lost and they are pissed so they threw a riot.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

7. Populism in action.

Always toxic.

[hlthe2b]

8. re: "This isn't just a cute semantic distinction." That is exactly what it appears to be

to me. Maybe not for every single insurrectionist, but I do not believe for a moment it was not for MOST--just as in the US 01/06 insurrection.

Really tired of these MSM apologists. May as well have Steve Bannon writing the text.
William Saletan is usually better than this. Disappointing, to see his naivete' to say the least.