Brazil: The County of the Future

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Brazil, the largest country on the continent of South America, has historically been seen as the underdog socially, politically, and especially economically. Referred to as “the country of the future… and always will be” by many Brazilians and those who know the country best, the country has not always been a beacon of hope for Latin America as it is today (Weyland, pg 64). Brazil has many unique qualities when compared to many of its Latin American counterparts. While much of Latin America has wrestled with its Spanish colonial past, Brazil has been much more diplomatic and tolerant of its Portuguese colonial past. With such a vast amount of natural resources and territory, Brazil has had the advantage of being relatively self-sufficient when it needed to, but also being able to develop into one of the busiest and prosperous trading nations in Latin America. With frequent political transitions throughout its 500 year history, and experiencing periods of oppression and totalitarianism, Brazil has managed to overcome and move past the scars of its dictatorial past. This is in part due to its fortunate avoidance of ruthless and violent dictators in the style of Pinochet in Chile, Peron in Argentina, Castro in Cuba, and Fujimori in Peru, just to name a few. In this research paper, I will briefly describe an overview of Brazil’s present political circumstances while also touching on a few key factors that have aided its development, in addition to in-depth analyses of the country’s history through three main phases. I will also make philosophical connections to explain and put into proper perspective the events that have shaped Brazil into the country it is today.
A major aspect of Brazilian socioeconomic and political development, a...

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...ant violence in the streets of Brazil, fed by high levels of poverty as well as the drug trade. In spite of the amount of research that has gone into answering some of Brazil’s most burning questions, there are still questions that remain unanswered; answers that remain to be seen beyond the year 2013. What is the best way for Brazil to combat street violence? Government spending? Inflation? Debt? Entitlements? And how will the answers to these questions affect the political stability and democratic development of the country in the long term? As much progress as Brazil has made in recent decades, there are still just as many questions to be answered. But if you are a Brazilian, maybe it is just time to enjoy the world stage while you’re on it. Not every country gets this chance, but it is how the Brazilian people handle it that will determine the country’s future.

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