Teacher's Day

Christopher Wood, Zebra and Parachute, 1930
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By JEAN PIERRE CHAUVIN*

The 92% cut for Science shows that there is not much to celebrate

 “The neoliberal agenda is guided by the need for a permanent adaptation of men and institutions to an intrinsically variable economic order, based on generalized and relentless competition” (Pierre Dardot and Christian Laval, The new reason of the world, P. 89-90).

If you persist in researching, educating and guiding research in this country, congratulations. By now, you will be aware that the gift anticipated by our day was the 92% cut to Science, as widely reported in the newspapers on October 8th.[I] What causes even more indignation is knowing that the “request” came from the Minister of Economy – yes, yes, the same one: a former banker, and still a speculator, a follower of the [neoliberal] Chicago School.

We could dedicate endless lines to discussing assumptions and intentions of the “government”; but I want to stick to the main destinations of the amount of 690 million Reais: 150 for the Ministry of Development; another 100 for Residential Leasing Fund. Exactly: in the stagnant country, since the Temer era, one can still hear fallacies in defense of development, despite the lack of everything else – from housing to sanitary pads.

That the “big” media did not pay enough attention to the scandal of offshore in transactions supposedly favorable to the Minister of Economy, but also to the President of the Central Bank and several supporters of misgovernment,[ii] it was to be expected: there are many “globals” lengthening the queue of investors in tax havens (and here, the rhyme in “ais” is not accidental).

What really causes astonishment is, on the one hand, the opportunistic shielding of the media and, on the other, the existence of messianic followers, so to speak.

Have (more) patience, because the question is old. We know that Latin America suffers from neoliberalism since Chile was used as a guinea pig from 1973 onwards. Here, the experiment began at the end of the stillborn “government” of José Sarney. Since then, the project has been implemented with relative efficiency. I say “relative” because not even monetary policy (one of the pillars of neoliberal ideology) resists the incompetence and selfishness of the staff Bolsonaroist.

That the current representative speaks and acts in favor of inequality and death is an evident and self-explanatory matter. The question is whether we will have the breath, not to get around, but to endure this long era of hypocrisy, imposture and impudence.

*Jean Pierre Chauvin is a professor at the School of Communications and Arts at USP.

Notes


[I]https://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/2021-10-08/congresso-corte-ciencia-pedido-ministerio-economia.html

[ii]https://www.pragmatismopolitico.com.br/2021/10/quem-brasileiros-aparecem-mega-vazamento-pandora-papers.html

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