Brazil: Movements reinforce social struggle in the streets
http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=9865

"There is no reason for what we have today. The 500 largest transnational corporations that dominate the global market, with 50 percent of GDP, increasingly promote corporate universities. Petrobras [semi-public Brazilian multinational energy corporation, Tlaxcala's Note], for example, spends R$ 400 million [=$ 178 million] in annual qualification. The Ministry of Labour spent R$ 125 million [=$55 million] for all workers in Brazil ", compared Pochmann. To illustrate, he cited a passage of the evolution of former President Lula who, when he was invited by his brother to attend a meeting of the union in the 1970s, said he would rather stay at home watching soap operas. Years later, they called on him to form a political party, and he said no, that the union was enough."I want to draw attention to the fact that the question of consciousness is something to be included in our discussion. And that is our role, the dispute of consciences in the construction of a possible course within the reality we have today," said Pochmann.According to his analysis, the government will now have to choose a new path and answer questions like "whose side are you on". For the project of a more progressive country to go forward, we must be clear that if one side wins, the other side has to lose. "The situation has changed and this new element [popular mobilization] gives powerful support to blocking the attempt of the rightwing to capture the government. It is a movement that makes explicit the limits of an ongoing project. What has been done so far is correct, but we need to move forward," mused Pochmann, who noted that since the end of 2012 there has been a sharpening of criticism of the Dilma government, orchestrated by the opposition in response to positions taken by the federal government. "The government has chosen to tackle the mother of all battles, which is confronting the core of neoliberalism, confronting the 20,000 families that govern Brazil, who live from interest and dividends."