Re: Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Victor O. Story (story@kutztown.edu)
Mon, 29 Jan 1996 23:31:32 -0500 (EST)

The remarks below reflect a dislike for neoliberalism that I
share to an extent, so I agree. I wasn't promoting FHC's specific
policies, rather just pointing out that it is interesting and perhaps
admirable for an intellectual to act instead of reflect and talk only,
and that his policies are not necessarily paradoxical in regard to his
earlier dependency analysis - that view depends on whether we liked his
earlier writings for their appeal to leftist or nationalist sentiments.
Brazilian people elected him.

Victor Story
Kutztown U.

On Mon, 29 Jan 1996, Michael D Shellenberger wrote:

> Victor,
>
> Certainly getting involved in politics in Brazil is admirable, as is
> writing about it, but there's nothing admirable about making an alliance
> with the most conservative elements of society (Antonio Carlos
> Malgalhaes, Roseane Sarney, for example) to dismantle the minimal safety
> net erected over the past fifty years. FHC's victory, in my view,
> prevented any major improvement in the quality of life for most
> Brazilians. Land reform, though it is no longer the fashion in the
> Brazilian academy, is still central to real development, and FHC is doing
> all he can to insure it does not happen.
>
> Michael Shellenberger
>