Cliff LyonSocialist Countries Kick Ass!
Here’s where I am today. Can you guess where it is?
Hints:
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It has the greatest gap between the rich and the poor in the developed world (US is #2).
They have a bigger illegal immigration problem than we do.
They have become thoroughly socialist.
They have been energy independent for years.
They are kicking our asses economically.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:31 am
Wish we were there!
Brasil
December 1st, 2008 at 8:37 am
Rio de Janeiro
Nice place but when you get past the luxury skyscrapers it is absolute destitute shanty-towns. I guess what socialism gets you is very rich and very poor with no middle class to speak of. The reason they are energy independent is they are able to use their oil resources unlike the US who has locked ours up tight thanks to extreme environmentalists.
December 1st, 2008 at 8:55 am
I love Rio!
Though it has been years since I have been there… Do they still have huge numbers of people living under bridges in card board boxes? You may have to get away from the tourist areas to see them. I would suggest doing what I did, hire a cab, hand him a fist of cash and ask him to take you to his own personal hang outs and neighborhood. If you are lucky you’ll meet some great people and see how the locals live. Be warned, toilets can be scarce in some areas so you may want to practice squatting over a hole if you plan on eating the local food in those areas.
It is only fair to mention that the rich in Brazil set just above our middle class and their poor are well below any measure of poverty in the U.S. Still I too love Brazil! It is there that I learned how happy people can be, even with very little.
I personally would suggest Ipanema over Copacabana beaches. It’s a little more relaxed down there. Be sure to give Lord Jim’s Pub a try, if it’s still there that is.
Becky,, Brazil has a Z in it! (smiles)
December 1st, 2008 at 10:07 am
But Richard, I spelled it that way on purpose — it’s the way my Brazilian daughter-in-law spells it. When in Brazil . . .
Abrigada (thank you).
December 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am
Becky,
Fair enough… I just had to give you a little grief…
December 1st, 2008 at 10:39 am
RO, I don’t mind getting grief from you - on my spelling at least. I’m not perfect, so keep watching.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am
Ken,
Also don’t forget that the Brazilian government has zero interest in protecting the environment and will dam any river they can get an ounce of electricity from while flooding millions of miles of virgin jungle. Also, they seem to have no problem clear cutting those old growth jungles so that one or maybe two years of crops can be grown before they move on. It seems that if you want to be an environmentalist, Socialism and Communism are not the economic models for you. Heck, just look at China.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I can’t believe anyone would use Brazil as an example of the wonders of socialism. In addition to the environmental abuses cited by Richard (USSR and East Germany were even worse), crime is rampant (even by U.S. inner city standards) in the parts of Rio that tourists and business travelers don’t go to.
Brazil’s economy doesn’t kick our economy’s ass, but their beaches (and the females who hang out there) are definitely awesome.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 am
Ken, I think you will find many of the stereotypes of Brazil outdated and things are changing fast.
Certainly there are many poor. But this poverty is endemic not just to Brazil, but much of Latin America.
You can see the ugly fingerprints of Christian missionaries in the DNA of this place and the deep scares left by years of CIA tinkering has cost this region decades of lost time building strong cicil institutions.
But despite these albatrosses, this place is clawing its way back. You can feel it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:08 am
Okelberries,
I am shocked to discover you have been outside in what I guess was a non-military capacity. I’m dying to know more. When were you here and why?
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
You hanging in the shantytowns Cliff? Go for it.., bring a gun.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Hey,
Hope you are having the BEST time…………….
Let us know when you come back to bad air and Buttars.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
cuba