And SO it BEGINS...!!

Yes, and this is just the very beginning...

A Serbian journalist no sooner arrived in Brazil, took a shuttle-bus from Guarulhos Int'l Airport to downtown São Paulo the other day, stepped off the bus and was robbed of everything he had brought with him: two computers, cameras, passport and other documents. and R$ 7000 in cash;

Just this week a US citizen was hurdled about 20 m. when he was struck by a hit and run driver in Rio;

Matt reported that two members of the US World Cup team were already mugged;

Rio's Airports in the midst of a strike;

São Paulo's subway worker strike really not completely resolved and could flare up at any moment;

The beginnings of another Anti - World Cup demonstration in Rio, as we speak;

Buses all on strike in Natal;

Sporadic shootouts in the so-called "Pacified" favelas of Rio still happening;

and now more protests in São Paulo near Itaquerão stadium.

I can hardly wait to see what the upcoming days are going to hold in store! Utter chaos, anarchy and crime, without a doubt.

As the Brazilians say... "O circo vai pegar fogo!" (The circus will catch fire!) But, it's nothing that I haven't been expecting all along, and I'm far from being alone.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

Well it would appear that almost all civil rights have been suspended in São Paulo at the moment. Despite the fact that there were absolutely no evident signs of violence on the part of Anti-World Cup protesters near the Itaquerão Stadium São Paulo's Military Police used rubber bullets, clubs, pepper spray, tear gas and stun grenades against the crowd. One video show a male protester who was clearly subdued by numerous police officers being sprayed directly in the face with pepper spray by yet another officer, totally unnecessary and an abuse of authority by any yardstick you care to use. In another video a CNN reporter narrowly escapes getting a direct hit by a stun grenade.

It's no wonder that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has been for many years calling for the abolition of Brazil's Military Police; they're clearly nothing more than storm troopers at the beck and call of a leftist government and their sole purpose is to dominate and control the Brazilian citizens, certainly not to prevent crime or protect people. This is a thoroughly disgraceful when ordinary citizens who aren't 100% in favor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup taking place in Brazil are being branded as "Enemies of the State" and being treated with such brutality.

Watch the videos they speak for themselves:

CNN reporter nearly hit by tear gas grenade

The Telegraph (UK) report police react violently

wjwoodward wrote:

Well it would appear that almost all civil rights have been suspended in São Paulo at the moment. Despite the fact that there were absolutely no evident signs of violence on the part of Anti-World Cup protesters near the Itaquerão Stadium São Paulo's Military Police used rubber bullets, clubs, pepper spray, tear gas and stun grenades against the crowd. One video show a male protester who was clearly subdued by numerous police officers being sprayed directly in the face with pepper spray by yet another officer, totally unnecessary and an abuse of authority by any yardstick you care to use. In another video a CNN reporter narrowly escapes getting a direct hit by a stun grenade.

It's no wonder that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has been for many years calling for the abolition of Brazil's Military Police; they're clearly nothing more than storm troopers at the beck and call of a leftist government and their sole purpose is to dominate and control the Brazilian citizens, certainly not to prevent crime or protect people. This is a thoroughly disgraceful when ordinary citizens who aren't 100% in favor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup taking place in Brazil are being branded as "Enemies of the State" and being treated with such brutality.

Watch the videos they speak for themselves:

CNN reporter nearly hit by tear gas grenade

The Telegraph (UK) report police react violently

I guarantee the military police will be violating every civil right know to mankind.

You bet your _ss they will!!! At the orders of, and with the full support of this Fashist government. Full censorship is now in place on Globo website G1. For a bit more than the past month now reader comments have been censored from any news reports about the government, public security (or more correctly the LACK thereof), the crisis in the public health system, education and World Cup no comments were being permitted. Yet, comments were accepted for stupid, unnecessary and un-newsworthy reports coming mostly from outside of Brazil.

Now there is a total ban on commenting on any report on the G1 site whatsoever. You can't even talk about the weather anymore, or so it would seem - the THOUGHT POLICE are everywhere watching what we all say. If I should go missing in the next month you'll all know why.

The first step towards the return of a DICTATORSHIP is the censorship of the media and prevention of Freedom of Speech.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team (well for now at least  )

It should be fun to see what's going to happen today. Natal - RN is hosting the game between Mexico and Cameroon in the midst of a full-blown bus strike.

Cuiabá - MT will be hosting it's first game, between Chile and Australia in the still unfinished Pantanal Stadium. Wonder if "Ooops, sorry about that!", is going to go over big with the fans? We'll see.

Eita Brasil-sil-sil............ A Copa das Copas, é mesmo?????

You'll never change the culture of Brazilians... even with 7 years to prepare for the World Cup everything, and I do mean everything, as usual with Brazilians was left until the last minute and in the rush to try and finish things they were poorly done.

President Dilma Rousseff said that the stadiums and airports weren't built to FIFA standards, but rather that they were built to BRAZILIAN STANDARDS. That means that they were built to no standards whatsoever. In Brazil what few building standards there are go completely unenforced, because there is absolutely no inspection during construction. Even in the rare case that somebody does inspect something usually a bribe changes hands and the problems are ignored, swept under the carpet and the construction is passed complete with all its defects. This is commonplace here.

So we get newly constructed airports that have the roof collapse during the first rainstorm, as if it NEVER rains anywhere in Brazil. In Manaus, Eduardo Gomes International Airport was just one such case, the terminal was flooded because the roof gave way. São Paulo's Viracopos Airport in Campinas and Cumbica International Airport in Guarulhos are two others where exactly the same thing happened. Antonio Carlos Jobim (Galeão) International Airport in Rio still has gaping holes in the roof.

Maracaná Stadium in Rio, the Jewel in the Crown of Brazil has a stairway leading to the Maracaná Subway Station that sways so badly it looks like it is about to collapse at any moment. In typical Brazilian makeshift style faulty welds and other defects have simply been wrapped with metal wire and the supports secured by spikes.



Brazilians are famous worldwide for their tendency to IMPROVISE everything, it's ingrained in their culture and has come to be know as the well-known "Jeitinho Brasileiro". It's this attitude of "Oh, it will do!" when problems arise that is so frightening. Rather than fix things properly they do a slap-dash repair and hope for the best. See the video of the stairway swaying and see for yourself.

Maracaná Stadium.... "Balança mas não cai, eu espero"

I've never seen people so resistant to learning from the outside world, how things SHOULD be done. They think that they're the only ones who know anything and in most cases rely on pure luck to scrape through the tough spots. "Vai dar tudo certo", sometimes just isn't enough; especially when it comes to construction that should have been completed months and months ago, tested and retested so that if any construction defects were found they had ample time to correct them properly like in the world outside. Not here in Brazil, not a chance in Hell.

You won't catch me in any of the stadiums or airports that have been built or refurbished for the World Cup, not on your life... I value my personal safety and my life too much to take stupid chances like that.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

What Japanese fans do after a football game in Brazil

What Brazilian fans usually do after a football game in Brazil

These photos speak for themselves!

It's amazing the difference a little bit of education and culture can make, isn't it? I certainly hope this demonstration of civility hasn't escaped the notice of ALL Brazilian sports fans. Who knows, maybe there would be some hope for the future?

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

The Japanese are KNOWN and REKNOWN for their cleanliness and civility. This is very true. When constructing a new building for example even a HIGH RISE (which MOST building are there anyway because of limited horizontal space) they actually COVER and SURROUND the entire building with canvas or plastic so as to not allow any of the dust to escape into the surrounding areas. Incredibly impressive and considerate.

And as for the fans from Chile!!!

88 Chileans, one Bolivian and one Colombian were given until 00:00h Sunday to leave Brazil or be arrested and deported, following their invasion and destruction at Maracaná Stadium in Rio.

The Chilean Consul says, "they're not delinquents." Really? What would you call these scumbags then? He admitted that they were all trying to purchase tickets ILLEGALLY and the wanted into the stadium. Personally, I think calling them delinquents would be a compliment, they're far worse than delinquents, they're criminals and should have been treated as such.

I think they got off too light, they can't come back into Brazil again during the games, after that no problem. I think they should all have been arrested, held in custody until deported officially and then never allowed to return. But, this government just loves crooks, bandits and low-lifes.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

Meanwhile the Japanese fans again show their class!!!

Well, if once wasn't enough to put most other nations' football fans to shame, the Japanese fans have done it again. This time following the 0 X 0 tie with Greece at Natal's Dunas Stadium these wonderfully civilized and cultured people again spent their time cleaning up after themselves.

In my opinion, the Japanese have already been declared the undisputed winners of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, without winning a game. Let's hope that every other nation on earth opens their eyes to this!!! They need to.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

Hi William,

I work for a Japanese company operating here in Brazil.  I talked to them about this, and also asked if this was some sort of PR thing to promote Japan (sorry for being cynical).  From their perspective, they find it strange that there's so much hype about this as this is very normal for them.  As one of my colleagues says "Don't you clean your own home after yourself?".

Having lived in Tokyo for more than a year, I have seen both good and bad side of Japan.  But one thing for sure, they like to come to a clean place and leave it as clean if not cleaner.

Cheers
Bryan

Hi Lighthand,

Yes, this is quite typical behaviour for the Japanese, so much so that they can't wrap their heads around the idea that some cultures aren't nearly as concerned about the environment and cleanliness.

It is a sharp contrast from Brazilian who throw garbage wherever they please, which I've always found ironic since they are so obsessed with personal hygiene. They'll shower a couple of times a day, wash their hands dozens, have alcohol gel dispensers in all public buildings to sanitize their hands, never touch or eat anything with their bare hands... yet they'll throw trash everywhere and even sit and eat right in the middle of it.

This is why the Japanese can't understand them.

Well I think most Japanese folks do understand that not all countries have the same way of life they have.  However I think the kudos have to be given to them for practicing what they do at home even when they are a guest in someone else's country.

I know for a fact that in Singapore (I'm Singaporean), even though many people says it's a very clean country there are still some idxxxs who are inconsiderate.  The only thing is that we have VERY heavy fines for littering, noise pollution, etc. that help keep the inconsiderate ones at bay.  We need these rules because of our small size, which means it takes only a few to make things difficult for the majority.

Just an update... the Policia Federal have confirmed that 56 of the Chilean fans who have been ordered to leave Brazil as of midnight last night have done so; those who have not complied may now be detained and deported.

Let's hope for a big roundup!