May 23, 2003 – Vol. I – No.
9
LulaWatch Focusing on Latin America's
new "axis of evil"
Implementing an agrarian land reform in Brazil
is a major goal of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s
administration. To do this, the President chose Trotskyite-leaning
Miguel Rossetto, the most radical member in his cabinet, as
Land Reform Minister. This issue of Lulawatch will deal with
the present status of land reform in Brazil.
1. Brazilian land reform before
2003 The left has always been obsessed with
land reform. They cannot conceive a platform without a land
reform plank which would deeply undermine and eventually destroy
rural private property. Brazil has plenty of experience when
it comes to land reform. The problem is that all of that experience
has turned out to be bad. Wherever it has been tried, land
reform has been a monumental failure.
2. The Landless Movement (MST) Pressure groups like the Landless Movement
(MST) and similar organizations frequently invade and occupy
lands in the hopes of forcing expropriations and hastening
implementation of land reform policies. The MST is a highly
revolutionary movement whose writings explicitly call for
seizing power and imposing socialism in Brazil. It has always
been closely linked with the left. The MST breaks the law
by invading farms, killing cattle, demolishing homes, destroying
crops, taking hostages and fomenting violence even to the
point of killing people.
3. The failure of Brazilian land
reform Today the fiasco of land reform is recognized
by economists and journalists from all ideological hues. Even
the PT, an ardently pro-agrarian reform party, and the government
itself are forced to admit the failure. Land reform settlements
now cover an impressive 20 million hectares (the size of Panama
and Nicaragua combined). Almost all of this area is unproductive.
Despite such a record, land reform remains a sacred cow.
4. An even more socialist land
reform under Lula After so many resounding failures, now
would seem the worst possible time to force land reform upon
Brazil. Unfortunately, this is not happening. The Lula da
Silva government seeks to carry land reform even further and
throw even more good tax money after bad. Some troubling proposals
are being debated.
5. The ‘Zero Hunger’
program at the service of the MST The Zero Hunger Program of the Lula
administration provides yet more support for the MST by supplying
the ‘landless’ agitators with a large quantity of
basic ‘food baskets.’ This may reduce hunger but,
above all, it keeps the MST actively invading lands.
6. MST has now become government In the Lula da Silva administration,
members of the MST and CPT have been placed in strategic posts
where they can implement land reform in accordance with their
own socialist-communist imaginings. “Under Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva,” comments the Folha de S. Paulo (2-19-03),
“INCRA has been turned into an extension of MST, CUT,
the left wing of PT and the progressive current of the Catholic
Church.”
That concludes this issue of LulaWatch. Until
next time,
Lula
Fooling the World Lula's party covered up its
historic radicalism during the
elections, but now in power is
gradually re-nationalizing formerly
privatized assets.
Brazil
says NO to Gun Control - October 27, 2005
The international left was monitoring with great expectations the results
of Brazil’s weekend referendum on a nationwide ban on the sale of
guns and ammunition. A Yes vote would have been celebrated as a victory
for gun control not only in Brazil but worldwide.
