The World Cup is coming to Brazil this year. And it's kind of a big deal. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone has opinions about it. I've seen so many things posted on Facebook about it - about how you should NOT come to Brazil to see the World Cup. My English student thinks it's the worst idea ever. So, what's the big deal?
This article seems to be the most clearly written explanation of why Brazil should not host the World Cup. Give it a read. Even if you don't care one iota about soccer, it's still an informative piece about the political and economic state of Brazil (about which many Americans are drastically misinformed).
"Never has the government collected so many taxes and done so little with it. Brazilians work five months out of the year to pay their taxes. Brazilian companies waste 3 months in preparing their tax documents. And what do Brazilians get out of this? Nothing. Sub-standard schools (Brazilian recently ranked second-last in the PISA test, behind only Indonesia), terrible health clinics where people suffer abhorrent mistakes like having the wrong limb amputated, and absolutely no safety or security."
"The biggest tragedy in Brazil is the murder rate. There are 300 million people in the US, and there are 15,000 gun-related murders per year here. There are 200 million people in Brazil, and there are 50,000 gun-related murders/year there." (Take note, America, that Brazil has strict gun-control policies, which essentially means only the criminals have the guns...)
Brazilians are such friendly, hospitable, and generous people. Brazil is a beautiful country, with many things to be proud of, but the government corruption is unbearable.
Did you read the article? Do you have any thoughts to add?
Why are you posting all these negative things about Brazil right before we come? :(
ReplyDeleteHa, don't worry, you're just coming to visit. It's totally different to visit than to live here! You will get to see all the amazing things Brazil has to offer, without having to worry about the bad stuff! :)
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