Seriously, I'm not making a sarcastic Anti-Brazil insult question. I have nothing against Brazil. I've never been to Brazil but I did meet Brazilians abroad and while many of them were more affluent students they never quite explained it or even had much of an opinion (possibly being upper class they are isolated from it).
By "It" I mean the perception. Brazil joins China and Syria as having their own 'shocking crime video' channels and websites. The Perception is that Brazil is a crime-ridden fuckup country with nothing but monkey riots, bandits, poor 3rd worlders seem to be everywhere.
I made a point of watching about a dozen documentaries on Brazil. Nearly every one of them covered crime, corruption, hedonism, ghettos, shantytowns, insane gangland violence, 'santoria' and every crazy fucking transvestite, street urchins and robbery pickpockets and over and over the 'rising economy' that never happens and just collapses again into a shitty half-ass economy.
And this is all especially baffling since the documentaries and Brazilians tell me 100+ years ago Brazil was actually expected to be 'The USA' of South America. Or even the USA of the Americas - THE big new world advanced superpower. Then 50 years ago again was predicted to be THE next big rising giant star of South America! Then as little as 15 years ago - again people said Brazil is FINALLY going to rise as the new modern 1st world leader and ... I just see 100 shitty shootouts and machete battles with sandal-wearing druggies in what looks like filthy decaying old shithole streets.
Again, this perception MAY BE TOTALLY UNJUSTIFIED but I'm asking any Brazilians or those who know Brazil well to please try and explain WTF is going on?
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[–] Zardoz [S] ago
The USA is relatively safe and definitely wealthy when even inside the USA 'Brazil zones' where mostly black and latin gangs carry out warfare - most of those people would never spend a night in a 'Favela' in that kind of poverty. Shit, you gotta boil your fuckin water, no ESPN and who the fuck doesn't have one pair of new nikes at least?
but my understanding is that you go back far enough to the earlier days of the 'New World' and Brazil (and much of South America) was assumed to be the next big thing. So much so that one documentary says its why you see magnificent (but now crumbling) cathedrals in what are surprisingly shitty places. Its because the church itself also invested in the massive architecture and 'infrastructure' for the coming superpowers that would be Brazil, Mexico, and nope.
Do this:
You can only choose one country and you must live and work and raise your family there for the rest of your life. (so not just hold a passport). Nope, you are exiled to one country but the good news is you are a full citizen with all rights, opportunities, freedom of movement.
Brazil or USA?
Without even a microsecond of thought its obviously the USA. Its not even a debate or discussion in your mind. You'd even choose it if you knew you'd have to start out in Harlem or Detroit and work your way up. In a heartbeat without a doubt the USA is your choice.
[–] [deleted] ago
[–] Zardoz [S] ago
Nope, you pick the real life situation today over real life Brazil in real life.