Diogenes' lantern and the elections in Goiás

The Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope (Sinope 404/413 BC – Corinth 323 BC) believed that society's main struggle was against corruption. He embraced a simple life and, according to accounts that have reached the 21st century, lived on the streets, inside a barrel, carried a lantern in broad daylight, and when questioned would say: "I'm looking for an honest man."

 Diogenes moved from theory to practice. His life consisted of a tireless campaign to overthrow the social institutions and values ​​of what he saw as a corrupt society. One of his most famous quotes is: "In a rich person's house, there's no place to spit except in their face."

In these elections in Goiás, there are about 4 million Diogeneses with lanterns in their hands. Not that they are repeating Diogenes's actions in their activism, not at all, it's that the people are experiencing days of disgust with corruption. Recent events motivate this behavior, mainly the scandal of the excessive influence of the racketeer Carlos Augusto Ramos, Carlos Cachoeira, in the administration of Governor Marconi Perillo. The "big deal" came to light with the Federal Police's Operation Monte Carlo.

In Goiás, the "Diogenes" (those who are easily influenced by political bias) are identified almost daily through surveys conducted for municipal campaigns. Throughout the state, researchers reveal voter sentiments in their reports, and the main concerns when choosing mayoral candidates are:

1 - A candidate who is honest

2 – A candidate with a clean record.

3 – A candidate who doesn't make promises they can't keep.

4 – A candidate who is efficient and competent.

5 – A candidate who is not a defender of the rich.

There is a subliminal rejection in these responses to everything that was revealed in the wiretaps by the Federal Police in Operation Monte Carlo, as well as in Operations Vegas and St. Michel. But, long before the relationship between the government of Marconi Perillo and organized crime, a nationwide campaign had already debated corruption with millions of voters: the Clean Slate Campaign. In a large mobilization involving churches, unions, and associations, millions of signatures were collected, leading to the enactment of Complementary Law 135/2010, which introduced a new requirement into the national electoral system for those aspiring to manage the "res publica": to be honest.

Without naming the candidate, a researcher told me about the voters' sensitivity to the "Clean Slate" issue. In a small town in Goiás, the candidate arrived home early and discovered he had a "partner" in bed with his wife. Distraught, he beat them both. Before the incident, he was leading the electoral race; afterward, his approval ratings dropped among his fellow citizens. A new poll revealed that the reason for the loss of popularity was that the mayoral candidate was considered ineligible by voters because he violated the Maria da Penha Law (domestic violence law).

In these elections, Diogenes' Lantern will seek honest men with clean records in all elections in Goiás. Oh yes, the candidate's proximity to the Palácio das Esmeraldas (Governor's Palace), that is, the relationship of the mayoral candidates with the Marconi government, will weigh against them. Polls show that the people are disgusted with the scheme of bribes, influence peddling, lies, and political maneuvering in the state. And the polls identify the trio Cachoeira-Demóstenes Torres-Marconi Perillo as responsible for the chaos that has taken over the public administration. You can see this in the potholes in the roads, the constant power outages, the chaos in public security, and the persecution of journalists and political opponents of the "demo-marconismo" (a term referring to the political alliance between the Democrats and Marconi Perillo) regime.

The voter's critical thinking skills are clearly evident in the major cities. In Goiânia, Anápolis, Itumbiara, Luziânia, Rio Verde, or Aparecida de Goiânia, there is not a single candidate from the PSDB, the governor's party. Why? Well, because the government also has polls, reads them, and knows that no openly pro-Marcon candidate will have the slightest chance.

Voters in Goiás will carry out their ethical cleansing in these elections, and the trend is for a new political landscape to emerge after October 7th. It's no coincidence that opposition candidates are leading in the main cities.

Marcus Vinícius is a journalist and edits the blog: www.marcusvinicius.blog.br