João Pedro Stedile - Today, humanity is at risk because of senseless social inequality, attacks on the environment, and an unsustainable consumption pattern in rich countries that is imposed on us by capitalism and its profit-seeking mentality.
Brazil
The victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers Party, PT) in the 2022 Brazilian elections was the most important democratic triumph since the fall of the military regime (1964-1985). Celebrations took over the country on Sunday night (October 30), harking back to the best traditions of the Brazilian people's struggle. There were hundreds of thousands of people in the streets taken as a whole, with the epicenter of celebrations on Avenida Paulista; the moving scenes of the opening of a voting school in Bahia, where hundreds of people waited with enthusiasm and confidence for the moment to vote for Lula, also expressed this feeling.
Sean Purdy - Lula da Silva narrowly won the Brazilian presidential elections against Jair Bolsonaro. Yet, Bolsonarismo—the far-right ideology punctuated by fascist traits and enthusiastically supported by the higher ranks of the Armed Forces—continues as strong as ever.
Steve Ellner - What has Washington most worried is the reemergence of a powerful non-aligned movement and the prospect that a progressive like Lula be situated at its helm.
Israel Dutra & Thiago Aguiar - The final stretch of the electoral process, marked by polarization, many fake news stories, and the fight against Bolsonarism, is undefined. The polls are divergent and, of course, there is a dispute about who is ahead.
Socialist Left Movement/PSOL - The left candidate Lula da Silva won the first round with 48.4% of the vote (57,259,504 votes) against 43.2% for his right-wing opponent Jair Bolsonaro (51,072,345 votes): an advantage of about 6 million votes. However, what marked the result - contrary to the expectation created by all the opinion polls - was that Bolsonaro did much better than predicted.
It is not an easy task to explain the phenomenon of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and to understand the groups that support him, both within and outside government. It’s difficult, for anyone, to draw a truly complete and sober analysis of what we have experienced. This essay is not based on in-depth research but on collective reflections and debates. I intend to pose some key questions and try to identify some clues to answer them.
Below, Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal is reposting two
views on the current political crisis and the situation facing the left.
Both articles first appeared at Socialist Project