That was a test those people didn’t pass, and the consequences were not just a big Fat F.

Of course, people like Obama have the power and the wealth to shield themselves from the consequences of their mistakes. Instead, everybody around them gets to suffer in their stead.

http://www.thereturnofscipio.com/

We have spent a total of maybe 6 weeks in Brazil – 1970, 1975, a few days in 1999 – and never had a bad experience with any Brazilian. We don’t frequent bars, don’t spend time running around at night, and stay away from anywhere identified as “dodgy”. But, it’s the officials that stood out as so different — that may well have changed in the 30+ years since 1975.

However, what I want to know is — Were the buses out to Iguassu still the magnificent machines of 1970? I had NEVER seen such buses — a separate compartment for the driver; first class airline-type seats for everyone in the passenger compartment; free coffee in thermos bottles up front; etc. etc. Most amazing buses I’ve ever seen, and I mean to this day. It was fabulous.

Also met a young lawyer on that bus who got into conversation, asked if we’d ever had “feijoada”…. What? Well, the national dish of Brazil – a baked bean dish was pretty much what we understood. We had not, so he invited us out to eat when we got to Iguassu (Iguacu on the Brazilian side) Falls, explaining that you put the black beans in, and then go through the refrigerator and anything made of flesh goes into the pot. That may be a slight exaggeration, but not much.

He treated us both to lunch – it was GREAT. Although, my wife is vegetarian, and when a big hunk of beef tongue came out of the pot, she almost lost it (VERY good, by the way).

Just one more example of lovely Brazilians, and there are lots more. I can’t vouch for diplomats in Uruguay! Heh.

P.S. I highly recommend S. America for tourists – keep a low profile, and don’t spend all your time in fancy hotels. Learning enough Spanish to get along in is a big plus. And if you are ever anywhere near Iguassu Falls, DO NOT MISS IT. The Boca del Diablo is a killer!

Here is my not-so-pleasing encounter with Brazilian bureaucracy, albeit in Paraguay, not in Brazil.

I was in Paraguay on break getting a visa for Brazil so I could see the Iguaçu Falls. The consulate informed me that because my passport would be expiring in two months, I could not get an ordinary tourist visa. I found this absurd, as I had to be back on the rig in Argentina in two weeks time. This information, and my work visa in my passport changed nothing.I ended up buying a round trip air ticket from Asuncion to Iguaçu, to satisfy visa requirements, and took the bus. I may still have that unused air ticket.

Well, we needed to get on the bus that night in order to get to Porto Velho to catch the plane next day to Manaus….but to leave town, we needed our passports stamped. We hired a taxi driver and explained the situation, and off we went to the office of the guy who did that job. No one there.

“No problem (or equivalent)” said the driver – I know where he lives. We got to the house, and the maid said that he was at a big dinner-meeting in town. “No problem (ditto)” (another big characteristic of Brazilians – everything is possible) said our driver, and off we went to the restaurant where the visa-guy was having dinner. The driver spoke to the head waiter, and pretty soon, out came a gent all dressed up, got in his car, signaled us to follow, and drove to his office (note that this is at least an hour AFTER closing time). He opened up, did our paperwork, accepted our profuse thanks, but flatly refused to consider taking a single cruzeiro, saying “I’m employed by the government of Brazil, and this is what they pay me to do!”

We were gob-smacked, after two-plus years in countries where it was common (though not universal) for the meanest functionary to make you wait until s/he was good and ready, and then demand a bribe simply for doing the job s/he was (probably poorly) paid to do.

Did I already tell you that we LOVE Brazil? (But stay out of the big cities unless you’re prepared to be VERY careful.)

Gail and I traveled by train in Southern Brazil in 1970 – we spent seven long days on the “milk run” that stopped each evening at the “state line” and made us wait until morning to catch the train in the NEXT state and continue on our (week-long) journey from Uruguay to Rio de Janeiro.

It was a wonderful experience, except for anxiety about money. Not that we didn’t have enough, but it was virtually all in $20 U.S. Traveler’s Checks. Imagine trying to change cruzeiros on a cross-country trip in the U.S…… And since we had to get a hotel for the night at each state line (we did sleep on benches once – the train arrived about midnight, and the next one left at 5:00 next morning), plus feed ourselves (the bag of granola we had didn’t provide ALL our needs), we needed Brazilian currency.

One night, we went to a much nicer place than usual, one that had private tile bathrooms and a comforter on the bed – all for $6.00 U.S. I figured a more upscale place might be more likely to change my check in the morning, rather than call the police. When I gave him the check, he looked at it and said (at least, the equivalent in Portugese, which I understood very little, having lived the previous year in Bolivia where they speak Spanish) “What’s this?” I explained about the $20.00 U.S. and he asked (more or less) “How much is that in real money?” Fortunately (not so much for her citizens, of course), Brazil was undergoing a planned devaluation of the currency, and the new exchange rate was printed in the newspaper each day — so I was able to get the previous day’s paper, and show him how much my change should be in cruzeiros. He wasn’t pleased, but the alternative was no money at all, and I told him the bank would be happy to deposit the Traveler’s Check!

That lasted a few days, but then we spent the last of it on our hotel and were down to nothing, again. We hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning (do you realize how sick you can get of dry granola?) and when the train stopped for an hour at lunchtime, I ran into the little town and went to the bank. They explained that they didn’t have a currency exchange, and when I burst into tears (figuratively, only) a bank officer came out and asked what the problem was. I begged him to personally cash my check, but he reached into his pocket, took out his billfold, extracted the cruzeiro equivalent of about $12.00 and handed it to me. “There is an exchange in the next large town”, he said, naming it. “You cash your check there, and send me this money back.” I was dumbfounded! I managed to convince him to take my check and give me the extra cruzeiros, after ascertaining that he did, in fact, go to town now and then and could deposit the check. That got us to Rio, where we could exchange money at the Adventist hospital our church runs. But, imagine! A perfect stranger, a scruffy-looking 22-year old gringo off the train, and he was willing to trust my unsupported word to mail him back his money! I fell in love with the Brazilian people that day!

I have another story, but later – meanwhile, if you stay out of the big cities, you’ll see what I mean. The Brazilians have a FABULOUS country, and are among the nicest and most honest people in all of South America. (Your results may vary.)

That is SO discouraging.

Corruption is at the heart of most of the world’s poverty, I think. Unfortunately, it seems to be a case of a chicken/egg thing – the wealth created by the corruption of power, or corruption created by wealth created power.

The whole socialism/communism scam is really the lack of recognition that greed is a human condition. Christianity recognizes this human failing as a problem, but since it’s a spiritual problem can only point it out, not actually change it. Since the person who has the problem thinks s/he is just better/smarter than the rest of humanity, change is unlikely unless conversion is as forceful as Paul’s.

Hmmm. That makes it a problem of pride also, doesn’t it! And _pride_…now _that’s_ a human failing to a major degree!!!

Which reminds me of a story in San Francisco….when Willie Brown was mayor, there was an old building on Market Street that needed renovation in order to make it into new businesses, offices, and residences. It sat there and sat there – two or three developers bought it and gave it a try, only to be defeated by the requirements and fees. They never could fight their way through the thickets at City Hall. UNTIL…..some guy wised up and hired Willie’s old law firm to help him navigate the path through the forest. Bingo!

So, it’s not just in Mexico…..but I REALLY don’t want that to spread in the U.S. In fact, I’d like to see it rolled BACK a bit. Chicago is a giant carbuncle on our Republic….and S.F. has a lot of problems, as well.