By EUGENIO BUCCI*

Nothing in Tuesday's speech authorizes us to believe that the rejected candidate has resigned himself to the outcome of the electoral dispute.

The speech that the defeated incumbent read on Tuesday afternoon was a blow to democracy in the face. Once again, it was proved, letter by letter, the fascist nature of the ruler who still works in the Planalto. In his angry speech, the head of state insulted the state itself and questioned the fairness of the elections. It was an unacceptable affront.

It is true that the government is gradually falling apart, which leaves a feeling that the president, even if against his will, no longer has the basis to reverse the results of the polls. The vice-president, Hamilton Mourão, who even invited Geraldo Alckmin, his successor, to visit the Jaburu Palace, has been making repeated statements that there is nothing to do but accept defeat.

Minister Ciro Nogueira insists on saying that he will start the transition with the new government – ​​and, as he likes to point out, he has the support of the chief to pass the baton to those who arrive. Arthur Lira, president of the Chamber of Deputies and very Bolsonar (at least until last Sunday), immediately ran to congratulate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his victory. From a couple of days ago, Centrão started flirting with the elected official.

At this point, the tenant of the Palácio da Alvorada is alone like a sad boy at a carnival ball. Sad and furious. Few mediocrities surround him, but even those are getting ready to fall into revelry – from adherence – or simply to get away. To complete the isolation of the deplorable figure, all world leaders who count have already sent their regards to the victorious candidate.

In the general view of the political picture, therefore, Jair Bolsonaro became, as they say, “a card out of the deck”. More than a “lame duck” (as it is customary to call, in the United States, the president at the end of his term who sees himself emptied of all power), he would be a “dead dog” (the plagued dog that, after much hell neighborhood, no longer threatens anyone and doesn't even deserve to be kicked). Anyway, the most sensible agenda now would be to turn the page and get on with life. Leave the loser behind and ball forward.

The reasoning seems impeccable, crystal clear, except that it is wrong. To be tolerant of the crimes of Bolsonarism, at this moment, would be pure irresponsibility.

For those who still have doubts, just go back to Tuesday's speech, the one that, after 44 hours of waiting (since the election result was announced), lasted just two minutes and three seconds. The pronouncement was – repeat – an affront. Nothing in it authorizes us to believe that the deprecated party was satisfied with the outcome of the dispute. In the words read, there are none that praise democracy, Electoral Justice, alternation in power, nothing. The speech was a call – even if it was weak and cowardly – ​​to uprising and rupture: a call for a coup.

Supreme ministers said that, in the meeting they had with the loser on the same Tuesday, he would have, at a certain point, pronounced the verb “acabar”, in the past perfect tense, when referring to the elections: “abou”. In the exegesis of the togados, the verb would indicate that, for the defeated, the issue would be overcome. I hope they are right, but, let's face it, there is "wishful thinking”. Perhaps the man said "it's over" when he saw that his coffee cup was empty. Perhaps he was already impatient and wanted to end the conversation (“the meeting is over, let's get out of here”). Or perhaps he said “it's over” as if to say “enough” (we know that the character is not familiar with words).

What hasn't ended so far is the inexplicable patience of the establishment. How can you? It is worth rereading the gritty speech, in which the subject uncovered the nonsense: “The current popular movements are the result of indignation and a feeling of injustice of how the electoral process took place”.

By trampling any nominal regency, the rejected claims that the way “the electoral process took place” justifies the “indignation” and “feeling of injustice” of “current popular movements”. That is: he says that the elections were not fair. Afterwards, he mildly reproaches truck drivers who have erected 270 roadblocks on Brazilian roads: “Our methods cannot be those of the left”. The important thing here is not the disapproval, but the use of the pronoun “our”. The “nossos” shows that the government unites with the highway scammers; he differs from them only slightly in "methods." So much so that, in the same speech, he calls for more protests: “Peaceful demonstrations will always be welcome”.

Then, in a threatening tone, he rants that he will comply with “all the commandments” of the Constitution. Could he be referring to Article 142, which provides for the use of the Armed Forces to guarantee law and order? Everything points to yes. The strategy is to mobilize fanatics, creating chaos in the country, so that the Presidency of the Republic can enact some form of rupture. If it's not the coup, it's the rehearsal for the future coup. You don't solve this type of barking with pats on the back. Dead dog that barks bites.

* Eugene Bucci He is a professor at the School of Communications and Arts at USP. Author, among other books, of The superindustry of the imaginary (authentic).

Originally published in the newspaper The State of S. Paul.

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