Jair Bolsonaro vs. Michel Temer

[President Johnson]

Battle of the two highly controversial previous leaders of Brazil.

The crook is definitely the lesser evil here.

[TDAS04]

Temer.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

"Would you rather have Covid or brain cancer?"

[Vice President Christian Man]

Temer.

[S019]

Temer obviously

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Temer

[Red Velvet]

Easily Bolsonaro, for strengthening the left lmaaaao

Meanwhile, Temer years were the most hopeless (entire 2015-2018 period was total hell tbh, with Car-Wash populism sweeping the country with the backing of mainstream media) I had ever been about Brazil. It was the continuous downfall era, Bolsonaro election only represented the arrival of the bottom of the pit.

But Bolsonaro years themselves were way more chill, especially 2020 onwards with COVID making him look a total fool of himself and finally make the right slowly but steadily lose control of the popular narrative.

Even 2019, which was the most “uncertain” year of Bolsonaro’s presidency low-key represented the early beginning of tables turning, with The Intercept reporting on Sérgio Moro private conversations being the butterfly effect event that was the early landmark of the shift on the public mood. Mid-2019 was the moment we began slowly climbing back from the pit.

Also, regardless of everything, Bolsonaro was actually elected by the Brazilian people, Temer wasn’t. And that counts a lot, give me evil populist right-winger who believes in the crazy stuff they say than “Big Center” corporate traitor that doesn’t stand for anything other than their own power.

[buritobr]

Michel Temer is the lesser of the evils because in today's politics it's hard to find anyone worse than Jair Bolsonaro (maybe his children Flavio, Carlos, Eduardo).

But some observations I shoud make:
1) At least Jair Bolsonaro was elected
2) At least under Jair Bolsonaro's administration we could see conterweights working: the Supreme Court, the media. Under Michel Temer, all the top of the Brazilian social piramid was working for him: the Supreme Court and all the juditiary branch, the media, the business sector

[morgieb]

As a man once said, vote for the crook, not the fascist.

[KaiserDave]

Illusion of choice, you get Bolsonaro either way.

[LM Brazilian Citizen]

Temer, the center-right crook, he made a partly regular government in a few areas, especially the economy, which emerged from the economic recession of 2015-2016.

But, the other hand, this occured at the expense of the poorest Brazilian worker, due the atrocious labor reform approved in Congress in 2017, which removed several labor rights and made labor relations precarious, favoring large corporations.

The best thing he really did was appoint his then Minister of Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, to the Supreme Court, who would in the future become the Bolsonarists' #1 enemy.

[SWE]

Bolsonaro is the worst living person

[Sir Mohamed]

Temer by process of elimination. (Random question: Isn't the dude still in jail?)

Bolsonaro is the worst living person

Vladimir Putin exists.

[LM Brazilian Citizen]

Temer by process of elimination. (Random question: Isn't the dude still in jail?)

Bolsonaro is the worst living person

Vladimir Putin exists.

In 2019, Temer was arrested on two occasions, on charges of corruption in Car Wash Operation, but on both he was released a few days later. Unfortunately, Brazilian justice never actually punishes the rich and powerful, only the poor, black and those who live in poor comunities, such as the favelas.

[buritobr]

Temer, the center-right crook, he made a partly regular government in a few areas, especially the economy, which emerged from the economic recession of 2015-2016.

But, the other hand, this occured at the expense of the poorest Brazilian worker, due the atrocious labor reform approved in Congress in 2017, which removed several labor rights and made labor relations precarious, favoring large corporations.

The best thing he really did was appoint his then Minister of Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, to the Supreme Court, who would in the future become the Bolsonarists' #1 enemy.

There was no real recovery during Temer's administration. The GDP data of the 2nd quarter of 2023 was realeased today and we saw that for the first time, the GDP per capita achieved the previous peak of 2013. Until the 4th quarter of 2018 (the last of Temer's adminstration) the GDP per capita wasn't full recovered yet. Even in the 4th quarter of 2019 (the last before the pandemic, already during Bolsonaro's administration), the GDP per capita was below the 2013 level.

The economy always recovers from recessions/depressions, because there is always idle capacity. The economy recovered from the crisis of 1930-31, 1981-83, 1990-92. The recovery of the 2015-16 was the slowest of the Brazilian history.

[Mr. Smith]

Temer.

This is probably the only time where Temer looks better.