Brazil's conservative revolution

[Judi Lynn]

Now it is Bolsonaro’s turn to shut down courses in philosophy and sociology, ostensibly to privilege "areas that generate an immediate return to the taxpayer”.

Vladimir Safatle
1 June 2019

We will hardly understand anything about what is currently happening in Brazil if we fail to take seriously what members of the current government and their ideological allies call "revolution."

Mr. Bolsonaro finds himself leading a kind of conservative revolution which commands the faith of his most loyal constituency. Bolsonaro knows that he will eventually rule for this power centre. There is no prospect of re-electing this government by a large majority. But, as war manuals remind us, a smaller, well-mobilized group is better than a large group which lacks a unified approach to action.

Those who support this government believe they are in a struggle against the powers that have always ruled the country (political caste, the press, and the intellectual elite). They believe they have placed "one of our own" at the heart of power. Someone who has our same characteristics and who shares in our difficulties. Someone who is not afraid to show his unfitness to occupy the position, thus creating some empathic identification with those who could never imagine being president. They think that in this revolution one should not "respect the institutions" that were largely responsible "for all that is there,” the former status quo.

Fighting “indoctrination”
Within this horizon, an ideological polarization has intensified, focusing on the government’s fight against "indoctrination" in schools and universities. After cutting the budget of three of the major Brazilian universities by 30% because they are allegedly promoting "chatter" (read as opening a space for political debates and discussions about the national situation), the Ministry of Education saw public opinion turn against him for politically pursuing institutions with high levels of research and academic commitment and accomplishment. In response, the government simply extended the cuts to all 69 federal universities, affecting their more than 1.2 million students. This decision endangers the day-to-day functioning of several institutions and the integrity of higher education in Brazil.

More:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/brazils-conservative-revolution/