Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
It occurs to me that you use the terms "free market", "democracy" and "socialism" in ways that may tend to hinder, not advance, this sort of discussion. But, OK. If Lula is about as free market as they come, how would you describe the people who ran to the right of him?
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They gave a lot of lip to Free Markets but they were not really free marketers. Brazil has a huge government subsidizing program, and the special interest that feed of the subsidizing program have a large influence on the current "conservatives" in Brazil. In other words, the prior government was hindering economic reform. That is why a large swath of the business community supported Lula. Lula is not only not attached to these special interests, but in addition, he truly believe in free markets. The labour unions in his own party have been the biggest hindrance to him passing his legislation. He has many parallels to Tony Blair.
I disagree with 95% of what Ralph Nader says, but one place I do agree with him is that all the corporate welfare in this country is not freemarket and is bad for the economy. The farm subsidies that many Republicans support and the corporate welfare schemes (in the form of subsidies and tax breaks) would warm Karl Marx's heart.
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