As American youth cry over the loss of the sanders campaign, the youth in Brazil are fighting back against democratic socialism.
"Brazil is home to one of the fastest-growing and accomplished liberty movements in the world" -mises.org
Contradicting Views
The differences in perspective amongst different groups of people on this planet never ceases to amaze me. As young Americans across the country continue to blame everything they do not like on free markets, always demanding more regulation, the young Brazilians have come to the exact opposite conclusion.
With Brazil's ongoing attempt at impeachment of their president, private security companies working the Olympics because local police are on protest1, and a massive sewage crises2 in the public sewage control systems. It is no wonder that the support for free markets and capitalism continue to climb.
You would think it should be obvious.
But here in the states, we have at least one extremely corrupt politician running for president. The States Environmental protection agency contaminated the Colorado river3, turning it orange, just recently. Attention continues to be drawn to the distrust in police, The government is coercing the natives again, shoving their protests aside as KEYSTONE builds a pipeline5 through their land. And to top it off, we now know the primaries were rigged unquestioningly. The left especially, is outraged.
Yet somehow everyone here in America is convinced that the answer is more government.
The thing that has failed us over and over, fulfilling its intended purpose but never its promises. The thing that has never actually accomplished what people want it to. Yeah, they want more.
Another thing that blows me away is the utter refusal to accept socialisms absolute failure. It's defenders just continue to rationalize it, even though it wasn't working when their parents were born any more than it does today.
I really am curious why this is.
The Sanders fans in the U.S. seem to think they can use the Scandinavians as a good example of democratic socialism, despite the fact that the president of Denmark has refuted the label of socialism for his country. They seem to believe that socialism can work on the terms of it being led by a democratically elected administration, as if the problem with socialism in the past has always been dictatorship and not the economic model itself. However Brazil is a great example of how an overpowering welfare state with a large public economic sector is destructive even at the democratic level.
This is not to mention that Bernie himself has routinely praised dictators4 of various socialist countries, which likewise is continuously justified by his followers.
It should be understandable that the people want something different. However the fact that there can be both constructive and destructive different is a concept that seems to fly over the heads of many. Just different is not a valid solution.
The Free Brazil movement is larger than the rest of the liberty movements around the world combined.
Kim Kataguiri
It blew me away to learn that the face of the Free Brazil Movement is a twenty year old kid. Barley out of teenage years. His name is Kim Kataguiri. A Brazilian with a Japanese heritage. His popularity soared after creating a youtube video denouncing and debunking his college professors claim that government spending creates jobs at the age of 17.
Kim has led many protests, the largest of which gathered upwards of 200,000 protestors to the streets of Rio to demand the impeachment of the president.
On another occasion a group of protesters undertook an epic 33 day march to the capital with an impeachment bill in hand.
Free Brazil movement keeps growing
According to google trends, economists like Ludwig Von Mises, Fredrich Hayek, and Murray Rothbard are searched at the same level as the mainstream economic figure John Maynard Keynes. And this trend is still on an upward slope.
The free market movement just keeps growing in Brazil, and the enthusiasm and dedication of its ranks far outperform anything we have seen here in the states from the Bernie supporters.
One thing these two movements have in common is that they are both fed up with government corruption and a poor economy. The main difference is that one blames the problem on a lack of government control in the private sector while the other blames it on too much government control.
Mises institute podcast interview with president of Mises Brazil, Helio Beltrão
Each of us must decide for ourselves which of these sides is more rational and logical. There is only one truth but we must find it for ourselves.
As of right now it appears that Brazil's movement towards liberty, although still having a long way to go, has far more traction compared to its counterpart.the inspiration this movement takes from the Austrian economist is heartening. If you continue on the path of Austrian economics, most eventually end up at one undeniable conclusion.
It is also worth mentioning the Brazil youths inspiration to create change in their lifestyles. Being very aware that political activism is often only a temporary solution, they see the importance of intergenerational change.
Although I would prefer to see a movement to nullify the government altogether,
For those of you interested in learning more about the Free Brazil Movement I've embedded a video created by Reason.
Mises institute podcast interview with president of Mises Brazil, Helio Beltrão