Steve Bannon meets with Olavo de Carvalho and celebrates Brazil being for sale.

247 - In a frivolous festival of clichés, exchanges of pleasantries, and bravado, the far-right American strategist Steve Bannon hosted the Bolsonaro government's guru, Olavo de Carvalho, at his home in Washington. The day before, Bannon had dined with Olavo at the writer's home in Virginia. The flirtation between the two extremists has a name: American interest in the Brazilian economy. "Curious about Brazil," Bannon practically interrogated Olavo de Carvalho, asking about culture, the economy, China, Paulo Guedes, and Bolsonaro. In a celebratory atmosphere, Bannon celebrated the Brazilian government's slogan: "Brazil, above all, God above everyone." "I loved that, I loved that," said Donald Trump's special advisor. 

The atmosphere at the dinner was marked by the usual arrogance of those who think they know everything about a country (Olavo) and those who wish to know everything about a country. Subservience was the keynote in the speech of the guru who doesn't want to be a guru, attending to all the demands of Trump's advisor who, in turn, showed fascination with accounts and explanations so similar to the clichés previously rehearsed about the country within American ultra-conservatism. 

A report from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo The article highlights that "at dinner, Bannon raises questions as if he were interviewing Olavo de Carvalho. The American wants to know about the direction of the Bolsonaro government and shows concern about how much the 'Chicago guy' could hinder the advancement of a nationalist agenda in the country. The 'Chicago guy' is the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes. Guedes' privatization plans, who comes from the neoliberal school of the Economics Department at the University of Chicago, go against points defended by Bannon. One of the frictions is Brazil's relationship with China, openly criticized by the Brazilian philosopher and by Bolsonaro. The president has defended on several occasions the thesis that the Chinese are 'buying Brazil'. China was also a topic of discussion for Olavo's group at the American State Department."

According to the article, "to talk about Brazil, Olavo de Carvalho alternates speaking with Gerald Brant, a financial market executive in New York, responsible for connecting him with Bannon. Brant says, as someone who works in the sector, that the Stock Exchange has reacted well to the elected government: 'The market loves Bolsonaro.' Bannon counters: 'The financial market loves Captain Bolsonaro, but they love the Chicago School even more,' and asks if Olavo could exert influence over the Minister of Economy. The philosopher shakes his head negatively."

The newspaper also highlights Bannon's fascination with Bolsonaro's slogan: "Upon hearing that Bolsonaro is a patriot and learning of the government slogan, 'Brazil above all, God above everyone,' Bannon says: 'I loved that, I loved that.'"