Paradise

22.06.2012 20:09

So much of Salvador is like a slice of paradise: Beach every day, amazingly fresh fruit at every meal, and fresh coconut water for cents. Definitely things I’ll miss when I go home. But it’s all at a cost, too. Yesterday in class we were talking about the price of material goods in the States compared to here. Like jeans, phones and computers, Honda Civics, chocolate. It all super expensive in Brazil – not just more in actual US dollars, but also as a ratio of income. Why? Because of super high taxes. And what are the taxes used for? That’s where paradise piece becomes nuanced. Instead of using taxes for social needs such as education, health care, and infrastructure, politicians notoriously pocket money, live in penthouses, and drive around in bullet-proof Mercedes. And it’s not just the poor that suffer, it’s the middle class too. What’s more, is that there’s a theory: In Brazil, and much of Latin America, education is de-emphasized as a governmental project. Why? Because an illiterate population is easy to manipulate. Which is why the working class mobilizes so often in protest and looks up to historic leaders like Che Gueverra. Just this year in Salvador, teachers have been on strike for over a month (it’s the school year now, but no one’s in school, even the university). Early this spring, the transportation system was on strike (no buses for several days!), and even the police have been on strike. Though perhaps with some flaws in design, the intention is clear:  agitating the waters to make it a paradise for all.