Sometimes I really have to wonder about Brazilians!

Since I’m fluent in Portuguese I generally read news reports from the Brazilian media in order to get the average Brazilian’s take on current events worldwide. However, when it comes to getting the factual information straight I read reports on the same events that come from the abroad. In the first place, journalism here in Brazil really leaves a lot to be desired because they tend to rush to press before having met the W5 requirements of mainstream journalists (where/what/when/who/why) and as a result get things totally screwed up.

What never ceases to amaze me is how far out of touch with reality the average Brazilian really is, when it comes to world events. I guess that they are just so culturally accustomed to a government that is corrupt, a justice system that simply doesn’t work crime is rampant and law enforcement officers who are either; corrupt, untrained, incompetent or sad to say little more than “bandidos” in uniforms that carry badges that they find it hard to understand developed nations where these institutions are squeaky clean and actually work they way they’re supposed to.

The Boston Marathon Bombing is a case in point. I’m NOT an American and I’m certainly not one to say that everything about the USA is perfect, far from it, but in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and most of the rest of the civilized world the one over-riding certainty we can have is that there really is Law & Order, the system works, it is fair and things are done with precision. While I actually think that the Tsarnaev brothers clearly the guilty parties and the overwhelming mountain of evidence (physical, forensic, photographic and eye witness testimony) proves it; I think the Americans in their absolute paranoia of “Terrorism” have rushed to brand them as Islamic Terrorists, rather than just the home-grown losers and criminals that they actually are. They’re more about whining “nobody understands us” and not fitting into society than they are religious zealots.

The average Brazilian however has a completely different take on things, judging from the reader comments posted on all of the online news reports surrounding the issue. They refuse to believe that it’s possible for an efficient and credible law enforcement agency to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of such an act in little over 22 hours. Most of the comments clearly express the belief that the pair are simply scapegoats and that the Boston Police and FBI have simply falsified all the substantial evidence against them to placate the American public. I’m not a big fan of Uncle Sam or Americans, but even I have to say this is a completely ridiculous position. It is so far-fetched as to completely defy belief.

The comments here in Brazil for the most part tend to state they were unfortunate, misunderstood little saints that have been singled out for swift and unjust punishment. Some here even try to justify their actions because of their own anti-American sentiments. Despite the overwhelming evidence of their guilt Brazilians simply choose to ignore all of it. How can you ignore a series of photographs that show the younger brother with a backpack (supposedly the bomb) in one photo, the next shows it at the feet of an innocent 8-year old boy, the following the bomber now without the backpack and moments later the little boy is blown to bits? How can you ignore comments of the members of the bombers’ own family saying that, “they’re losers that we’re all ashamed of”?

More incredible still is that these are the very same Brazilians who complain about police action in the favelas here to round up drug traffickers and who set fire to public transport buses when one of them is arrested. They complain long and loud about the wealthy Brazilians being above the law and juvenile offenders having complete immunity. Yet, these are the very same ones who see how things work in the “First World”, but just can't believe it.

Cheers,
William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team