*Almir Pazzianotto Pinto
I borrow the title of the article from Ortega y Gasset. We are, in fact, facing a surprising but inevitable rebellion of the masses, suffered, abandoned, trampled on by successive governments, no matter which political party.
It is not pure vandalism, although vandals take advantage of chaotic situations to vent anarchic and destructive instincts. What is noticeable is the sudden and uncontrollable volcanic eruption, which brings out the civic feeling of young students or peaceful workers and public servants, supposedly indifferent and apathetic in the face of corruption.
The people have occupied streets and avenues because they have become convinced that they do not have valid and reliable channels of communication with municipal, state or federal authorities, whether they belong to the Executive, Legislative or Judiciary. He realized that, despite the existence of 30 legends registered with the Superior Electoral Court, there are no parties and politicians that represent and defend him with commitment, courage, honesty. From the PMDB, registered under theo 1, to the National Ecological Party - PEN, whose registration number is 30, passing through PTB, PDT, PT, DEM, PCdoB, PSB, PSDB, PP, PSD and all the others, are mere acronyms without ideological position, which clash for the conquest of power for the sake of power, or in the search for ministries, positions, state-owned companies, mixed capital companies.
Helpless, the people were left to go out into the streets, face batons, tear gas, stun bombs and rubber bullets, letting the indignation they are possessed come to the surface, in the face of the uninterrupted wave of impunity. Not by chance, among the posters displayed by the protesters, many demand effective convictions for the defendants of the “mensalão”, for fear that the Supreme Court will go into reverse and acquit them.
The increase in the price of the single ticket was only the trigger for the revolt that took a long time to happen. A fuse because, among all public services, in São Paulo and in the big capitals, public transport is surely the worst. It is not a matter of knowing whether the municipality subsidizes or not, whether the amount charged is reasonable, what percentage of increase. What there is, among users, is the feeling of being treated like cattle, and that all the promises made, in repeated campaigns, will never be fulfilled.
If the increase in the single ticket was the trigger, the construction of fantastic stadiums for the World Cup, with money pilfered from taxpayers, provided the gunpowder. Although they had guaranteed, when Brazil was chosen to host the championship, that everything would be done with resources from the private sector, what is known is something radically different, according to data constantly published by the press. Accustomed to accusations of overpricing and favoritism, the works for the World Cup, according to the known numbers, exceeded all limits, and provoked the just wrath of the dispossessed population, as was seen in Brasília, at the Mané Garrincha Stadium, when the president Dilma and the multinational top hat Sepp Blatter were loudly booed.
Understanding the origins of the rebellion is not a difficult task. It is enough to look at the physiognomy of the participants, overwhelmingly young people under the leadership of other young people, and to know the reality at least.
The increase in the price of the single ticket was only the trigger for the revolt, which took a long time to happen. Among public services, public transport is the worst
The surprises are due to the behavior of the authorities. None of them showed up to the events, showed signs of having understood the seriousness of what was happening, or competence not to lose control of the situation. The participation of the Minister of Justice, José Eduardo Cardozo (PT), was pathetic and revealed the opportunist spirit of His Excellency.a. He tried to blame the state government, forgetting that a considerable part of public transport is the responsibility of Mayor Fernando Haddad, of the PT, author, by the way, of the 20-cent increase.
The old PMDB, led by Ulysses Guimarães, Franco Montoro, Freitas Nobre, Nelson Carneiro, Orestes Quércia, Pedro Simon and the PT represented, in the 1980s, the hopes for change after the defeat of the military regime. Today, they do not exist, or rather, they have been divorced from their roots, they are confused with the others and they are unable to communicate with the people. Discounting the inevitable excesses when leaders are divided and diluted within the mass, it is essential to recognize the importance of demonstrations. The success achieved will lose meaning, however, if it is only fleeting. From now on, young protesters will be responsible for effectively integrating themselves into political life, with the aim of revitalizing parties, dislodging outdated leaders and influencing the outcome of the next elections. If they succeed, all the sacrifices will be valid, and Brazil will soon become the country desired by the people.
*Lawyer, former Minister of Labor and former President of the Superior Labor Court
