I too have lived in Brazil and the United States. There is free health care, free education, and welfare in Brazil. It is not the best, but it is available and free. Some of the best universities in Brazil are free. It is hard to get in though. My ex-wife is from Brazil and came from a very poor background. She is now a doctor, MD. Educated in Brazil. There is certainly less racism than in the U.S. The wealthy in Brazil have always controlled politics. Always have and always will. The wealthy are the ones that brought about the military takeover of the country in 1964.
Brazil is a lot like China in many respects. First world in some areas and third world in others. Like China, Brazil has a space program. They have the capability to go nuclear any time they choose. Embraer is the third largest producer of civil aircraft, after
Airbus and
Boeing. It has a relatively big military industry. Tanks, planes, and small weapons. Taurus is a Brazilian company that makes handguns sold here in the U.S. And yet, like China, the country faces poverty, hunger, lack of education and corruption. Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are the two cities, and states, that run and finance the country. With one or two exceptions, the rest of the states are in the 'red'.
The Brazilian Army ran the country from 1964 to 1985. All the Generals were well educated and came from good social economic backgrounds. If a free people cannot govern themselves properly, they don't deserve a democracy. They need 'daddy' to crack the whip on corruption and keep people in line. Brazil made great strides from 64 to 85. World pressure, and the U.S., eventually made the military turn the country back over to the people. With very few exceptions, things have gone downhill ever since.
