Bolsonaro's legacy
Those who spread or produce fake news are afraid to reveal their own shame.
Bolsonaro's legacy was not the aggression against indigenous peoples and other minorities, which led to the misfortune of the Yanomami people. Nor was it the hundreds of thousands of Brazilians who died due to the denial of the Covid-19 vaccine. Nor was it the deterioration of the health service.
Bolsonaro's legacy wasn't just the corruption within the armed forces, who brazenly ceded their land to "campsites" of thugs disguised as revolutionaries. Nor was it even the insinuation that the police abandoned the defense of public property in the Three Powers Square and its institutions.
Bolsonaro's legacy was not the example of pusillanimity he displayed when penalizing a fishing inspector who had fined him for illegal fishing, using his newly acquired position as President of the Republic.
Bolsonaro's legacy was not the eloquence of his scoundrel-like rhetoric and depraved vocabulary, including terms of the lowest order. Nor was it the torrent of lies and criminal accusations he spewed daily.
The legacy was not the adherence to Bolsonarism by so many large and small business owners and their associations merely to defend their petty interests.
His legacy was not the persistent attempt to demoralize the Superior Electoral Court, nor was it the instigation, by his unqualified followers, of threats against the fearless Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
Its greatest legacy was the dissemination of fake news. Because by concealing the author, it protects them from the truth. Those who spread or produce fake news are afraid to reveal their ignominy. And fake news breeds lies, because it depends on the cowardice and villainy of the user.
Bolsonaro's greatest legacy is, therefore, Bolsonarism, a culture forged from lies, opportunism, and cowardice. And here are some indications. How many Bolsonaro supporters have already joined President Lula? Was it for ideological reasons? And the immense cowardice and lack of dignity demonstrated by Bolsonaro in fleeing to "Florida" on the eve of his successor's inauguration.
* This is an opinion article, the responsibility of the author, and does not reflect the opinion of Brasil 247.