​Why does Brazil get to have all the fun?

Brazil’s Former President to Be Indicted?

More below the fold.

"Imagine if the United States had had a combination of the Watergate scandal, a massive recession, and the kind of vitriolic contest over politics that we saw during the Bush-Gore contest in 2000."

What is going on in Brazil?!

"Brazil’s top prosecutor has asked the country’s Supreme Court to indict former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for obstruction of justice in anti-corruption investigations. The FT has more:

In the nearly 300-page document sent by Mr. Janot to the Supreme Court late Tuesday, the prosecutor says that Mr. da Silva and others were also involved in an effort to bribe that witness—former Petrobras executive Nestor Cerveró—and to help him flee the country. Mr. Cerveró’s son recorded a conversation between himself and the senator about the offer and turned the recording over to police, according to prosecutors. Mr. Cerveró had been negotiating a plea bargain with prosecutors regarding his alleged participation in the kickbacks-and-bribery scheme at Petrobras."

Piffle, a well liked, but washed up politician telling porkies to say out of a graft and corruption scandal. Dude, been there done that, our porkies teller lied to a judge and was disbarred! Beat that!

"This is big, and possibly very serious news. Lula is much more popular than current embattled President Dilma Rousseff among the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Worker’s Party) rank and file—he’s a big hero for many of the people who voted for him, and who continue to benefit from the welfare programs he instituted and the educational reforms that he pushed for poor Brazilians. In addition, many Lula supporters think—with excellent reason—that the political establishment trying to impeach Dilma and prosecute Lula is at least as corrupt as the PT leadership. It’s like the Corleones vs. the Sopranos as far as many ordinary Brazilians are concerned."

Whut? The last President was a porky telling graft, and corruption hound, the current President is a porky telling graft, and corruption hound, and the people are satisfied that the other side is the same?! Ok, ya beat me! Like a drum!

"There is, however, one heartening sign. The prosecutors investigating the rampant corruption that has been a foundational element of the nexus of political power, financial power and corporate power in Brazil for decades aren’t just concentrating on the allies of Dilma and Lula. More and more politicians from more and more parties are getting caught in the web. That’s good: Brazilians need to see that the legal process is truly fair."

Perhaps it might be time to reform the political system down there so that the graft, and corruption is limited. Limiting the power of government will do that, but everyone wants a handout, and as long as it doesn't cost them, they don't much care about the graft, and corruption, until it bites.

C'est la vie.