Bolsonaro is destroying Brazil and demoralizing the military.

The president of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), Felipe Santa Cruz, was right when he stated that "with method and patience, Bolsonaro is destroying Brazil and sowing death and discredit." However, I think it would be better to replace the word "patience" with impatience, because Bolsonaro's destructive fury has gone from weekly to daily. He has built nothing so far that benefits the people or enhances Brazil. In fact, he is being methodical and systematic in his destruction. 

In the most serious public health crisis of the last hundred years, Bolsonaro indulged in destroying the Ministry of Health, sowing death, lies, and quackery mixed with religious charlatanism. Besides sowing death and being primarily responsible for the spread of the virus through misrule, disorientation, and systematic lies, he is also destroying the economy: he is primarily responsible for the long and disorganized lockdown, thus postponing the resumption of productive activities. 

Only strict lockdowns, directed by a single, unified national command, had widespread adherence, were short-lived, and allowed for a faster resumption of productive activities. Thus, Bolsonaro is also methodical and systematic in the destruction of the economy, jobs, and the spread of poverty and hunger. As a cruel president, he humiliated the poor Brazilian people in endless lines at the Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF) – humble people exposed to fear, contagion, despair, and shame. There is no doubt that the government deliberately delayed and created difficulties in releasing emergency aid with the intention of creating social unrest, because Bolsonaro is a fisherman in troubled waters, as it is in social chaos that he finds fertile ground to advance his project of incremental authoritarianism. 

From the beginning of his administration, Bolsonaro has been methodical and systematic in destroying democracy and the rule of law. Several of his decrees and provisional measures were blatantly unconstitutional. He attacked the mechanisms of oversight, security, control, and investigation with devastating fury. Examples include: the Federal Revenue Service, the COAF (Council for Financial Activities Control), the Federal Highway Police, traffic laws, the transportation of children, and the liberalization of weapons to favor militias, land grabbers, and criminals, even weakening oversight by the Armed Forces.

Bolsonaro was methodical and systematic in destroying environmental policy and the institutions that supported it, such as the Ministry of the Environment, ICMBio, Ibama, Funai itself, and the entire inspection system. What we see in this area is scorched earth, fires, dead trees, entire forests mercilessly felled, and burned wildlife. Brazil has become a global environmental pariah.

Bolsonaro is methodical and systematic in destroying scientific research, culture, universities, free and critical thought, which are inherent to democracies, freedom, and economic and social progress. In this respect, he also directs his destructive fury against the press that is not subservient to him, offending journalists and, primarily, attacking female journalists. It is no coincidence that his former ally Paulo Marinho testified that he despises women. 

But Bolsonaro is going deeper and more dangerously in destroying the powers of the Republic. He is acting to interfere with, politicize, and disorganize the Federal Police, aiming to establish his control over it. He is acting to interfere with, politicize, divide, disorganize, and divert the Armed Forces from their functions, aiming to create an environment conducive to implementing an authoritarian regime. Hélio Gaspari was also right when he stated that Bolsonaro is sowing military anarchy. He had already encouraged riots and rebellions through his agents in some military police forces, notably in Ceará. Bolsonaro is an expert in military indiscipline, having been expelled from the Army. 

Increasingly isolated, Bolsonaro finds support in his ideological militias, which are increasingly propagating violence, in charlatan pastors and bishops who are veritable money-grabbers exploiting the good faith of the poor, in the military, and now, probably, in the centrist parties, a bastion of corruption, political opportunism, and the practice of mercenary politics. 

What is most worrying is the support that the military lends to this president who betrayed the people and betrayed the country, disgracing Brazil in the world. It is quite true that the military has had some less than edifying episodes with its political interventions. Political interventions by the military reveal that they are bad soldiers. A good soldier prepares for war, defends his country from external enemies, safeguards security and peace, and upholds the Constitution. 

When Article 142 of the Constitution states that one of the functions of the Armed Forces is to "guarantee the constitutional powers," this means that they must guarantee the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, as established by the Constitution. It is not the role of the Armed Forces to guarantee or interpret the Constitution: this is the role of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), and the Armed Forces should only act when summoned by a constitutional power. The Armed Forces are not the Constitution, they do not own the Constitution, but they are servants of the Constitution. Any deviant conduct must be punished. 

The Armed Forces have gained legitimate and well-deserved prestige since the redemocratization process. There is no nation-state without armed forces. This prestige stems from their professionalism, the services the military provides to the people and the country, and their significant role in national integration. As Aldo Rebelo says, the Armed Forces are the only institution that has a truly national presence. 

During this period of redemocratization, political demonstrations by the military were sporadic. But since the installation of the Bolsonaro government, things have been changing. Today, the Bolsonaro government can be defined as "Bolsonaro's military government," given the presence of military personnel in his administration. In this way, the government appears to the population and observers as a government in collusion with the Armed Forces.

The Armed Forces appear associated with a president who is destroying Brazil and sowing death; with a government that has betrayed Brazil and its people; with a government that is against science, against culture, against health, and that is demoralizing Brazil in the world. It is quite true that the Ministry of Defense has issued statements affirming the constitutional role of the Armed Forces. But it is undeniable that the Bolsonaro government is sustained by a military apparatus.

In the past, military interventions were based on certain justifications. Now there is no justification for such a large military presence in the government and for its military support, causing an undue and dangerous politicization of the Armed Forces. This is especially true because some generals have been discredited by Bolsonaro and his ideological militia. 

It is also true that the military, especially high-ranking officers, have gained privileges under the Bolsonaro government in terms of pensions and salaries. It is also likely that military personnel participating in the government will double their earnings. So, if there is no justification for the massive presence of military personnel in the government to the point of transforming it into a military government, this presence is due to pecuniary opportunism and privileges. All of this is contrary to the interests of the people and contrary to the interests of Brazil. 

These military officers need to think about their biographies, their legacies, because history will be merciless with the Bolsonaro government. The biographies of the members of this government will be covered by thousands of corpses, by hunger and misery, by misrule, by the demoralization of Brazil in the world, and by the betrayal of the people. The children, grandchildren, relatives, and descendants of those who serve this government will feel ashamed of their ancestors because it is a government without honor, without morals, and without humanity.

Aldo Fornazieri – Professor at the School of Sociology and Politics (FESPSP).