Roman proverb forgotten by the Senate

1. A Roman proverb forgotten by the Senate...

That's it! I thought I'd seen almost everything in life in terms of "shameless politicians" back in the glorious days of Paulo Maluf's famous interviews justifying his complete innocence regarding the "wads" of cash found in Switzerland and the Jersey Islands. Apparently, all that money came from less-than-republican dealings between the then-Mayor of São Paulo (1993-1996) and the construction companies responsible for building major urban mobility projects in the bustling São Paulo capital. But all that is in the past... the world has evolved, and there's no more cheap trickery available on the market to meet the current demand!

2. The poverty of democratic education

Regardless of political, religious, sexual, or animalistic preferences, what is at stake is something more complex, and many of us seem unaware of this. The fact that our political aspirations are not met by the ungrateful people, whose vote was not directed to us, does not give us reason to carry out dangerous attacks against democracy. It does not authorize the frustrated criminal to destroy the structure of the State in order to, in the chaos, make "force" emerge as a lifeline, to impose a series of authoritarian and dangerous measures (see the example of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Iran, China, Russia, Chile... Brazil, in addition to the banana republics of Latin America and Africa). The danger is real.

3. The affront

Those responsible for the Judiciary allowed the "supreme commanders" of Operation Lava Jato (an extremely necessary action) to overstep the boundaries – intelligent and acceptable ones. Undeterred and complicit, the gods of the gods in black succumbed to nebulous political and partisan interests, transforming an important process for the reorganization of the State into a half-baked mess. The endless preventive detentions of some figures to the detriment of others in similar positions... the selective leaking of decontextualized information... the spectacularization of the legal process, transforming the Judiciary into the anteroom of a makeshift circus... the recurring affronts to the prerogatives of lawyers in the professional practice of defending their clients... the use of clandestine wiretaps inside cells... the plea bargains offered at extreme moments in which the truth becomes relativized... all contributed to leaving the process, as a whole, under suspicion in form and, irremediably, questionable in its action. I say this with a mind far removed from the political passions of the moment.

4. Sensitivities and vanities

The raid on the homes of three illustrious senators (at the request and command of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office) on the 14th of last month has stirred the pride of the untouchable and divine politicians of the Upper House. Regardless of the strength of the evidence or the magnitude of the crime to be investigated (I hope it's serious enough to justify the circus), the fact that the immaculate image of the demigods of parliament has been tarnished cannot go unanswered. One thing is certain: any legislative action that brings more transparency, credibility, and responsibility to the Judiciary is welcome... and it's long overdue. Justice cannot remain a black box composed of "men and women" whose behavior resembles that of deities. This has no place in a modern democratic society. But... the Senate cannot remain complacent!

5. Can a chicken thief become a henhouse manager?

Congress needs not only to be honest... it has to appear honest. That House is a mirror of our society and, between you and me, the nation isn't as bad as the Parliament elected by us, the naked Brazilians, in 2014! In the Senate, during these turbulent times, numerous proposed laws have emerged to regulate sectors and standardize procedures in the world of Justice. Beautiful!!! In this catastrophic, delicate, and morally bankrupt scenario, guess who is chosen to be the rapporteur for such a sensitive and complex matter??? Senator Ivo Cassol (PP/RO)... and he accepted!!! This citizen, in addition to the enormous number of lawsuits hanging over his robust shoulder, has already been judged and convicted... the sentence has already become final... he should have been in jail for two years... and this "emblematic" figure is chosen by the Brazilian Senate to report on matters regulating the country's Judiciary??? What can the average citizen, the simple pale-faced person from the village, expect from something like this? That the clearly partisan political excesses spearheaded by the "King of Paraná" in Operation Lava Jato are dangerous for society is a fact. Nevertheless, the signs and gestures coming from the worn-out National Legislative Branch are not enough to fill us with hope... We must be careful!

Remember: Politics itself is a noble art that should not be judicialized and cannot be criminalized, as has been done. It is politics, and only politics, that should guide us in the process of consolidating democratic societies. I no longer want to hear the venomous grunts of the mediocre. The nation needs to hear the guiding voice of statesmen with democratic veins. (And they exist in all parties, but you have to search hard and let them speak).