Thread by @oceanyia

I've written dozens of threads in the past months, but here's what's happening in Brazil, in a very brief explanation

48% of the population has voted for a far-right presidential candidate who has glorified torturers, disregards human rights, and believes women should earn less

There are multiple facets to this phenomenon, something I've explored in a different thread

If you (foolishly) decide to disregard his appalling remarks to LGBT folks, women and minorities in general and look at his policies: He doesn't have any

https://twitter.com/oceanyia/status/1046525038483124227?s=09

Bolsonaro boasts about not knowing much about economics, and how his right arm Paulo Guedes (a University of Chicago alumni) will take care of everything

Paulo Guedes has never worked with economics in the context of public service, and has no feasible political plan.

Bolsonaro doesn't have supporters, he has a cult. Even if you lay out facts, they will cry "fake news"

They questioned the German Embassy in Brazil when it posted a video about Nazism being right wing

They argued that Nazism was "left wing" and called the Embassy communist

When Madonna posted a picture with #EleNão ("NotHim" - a campaign against, well, him), they cried that she was "looking for fame". When The Economist posted an exposé of the terrible economical implications of a Bolsonaro government, they questioned if the magazine was communist

The astonishing support towards him is rooted in desire for change. Yet, he's been a politician for decades with little to no achievements. His incendiary speech is based on nothing but ignorance, hate and blatant disregard for human rights (and common sense)

This election finally shatters the myth of Brazil being progressive. I've been to many places in my life and I know that is a widespread idea amongst folks abroad. That is wrong. Brazil is deeply conservative, still. And the fact that Bolsonaro had over 45% of votes proves it.

Many claim that Bolsonaro's the means to an end. That hes a magical way to escape the left

That argument indicates two things:

1)How polarized political discussions are, w/ debates being reduced to "left said/right said"

2)That many think that human rights can be relativized

Despite the great number of candidates in the ballot, the narrative that "If you don't side with Bolsonaro you're automatically supporting the PT" (which many believe to be the sole cause of every single problem happening as of now) increased the polarization even further

There is now a 20 day wait until the next round. What will happen from now onwards is unpredictable. You can read more about the intricacies of the current political situation in the thread I linked above.