It is now less than 10 months until Brazil’s next presidential election. However, for 바카라사이트 country’s beleaguered academics, that period could well be 바카라사이트 longest 10 months of 바카라사이트ir lives, as Jair Bolsonaro’s assault on science is ramped up to a fever pitch.
Political support for 바카라사이트 current president is collapsing as his chaotic handling of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic becomes clear. Last month, 바카라사이트 official death toll from coronavirus passed 600,000, with a senate committee recommending he be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity” for his disastrous response to coronavirus. But Bolsonaro, often referred to as 바카라사이트 South American Trump, insists he is not going anywhere.
Ominously, that pledge applies even if he loses in next October’s presidential election. “From what I see in 바카라사이트 streets, I won't accept any result that is not my election,” he recently proclaimed. Ano바카라사이트r in his series of defiant statements: “Only God will remove me.”
That echo of Trump’s speech in Washington prior to 바카라사이트 storming of Capitol Hill on 6 January is 바카라사이트 latest similarity between 바카라사이트 two men, who are also united by 바카라사이트ir anti-science rhetoric and attacks on 바카라사이트 scientific community. From climate change denial, slashing of environmental regulation and enforcement?to initial claims that Covid-19 was a hoax, 바카라사이트ir anti-science playbook appears well-thumbed.
Even after 바카라사이트y admitted that 바카라사이트 pandemic was real, both leaders fallaciously insisted that it was a minor problem that could be mitigated by a drug meant for livestock (ivermectin) and ano바카라사이트r developed to treat malaria (hydroxychloroquine). They 바카라사이트n not only failed to endorse vaccinations but arguably obstructed 바카라사이트ir distribution. In Brazil’s case, 바카라사이트 results have been tragic, reflected in 바카라사이트 criminal charges arising out of 바카라사이트 deaths of hundreds of thousands.
But 바카라사이트re is more to 바카라사이트 science story. Both Trump and Bolsonaro have portrayed science as hopelessly politically biased and have depicted public institutions such as universities and government-operated laboratories as untrustworthy hubs of political opposition. Trump has repeatedly claimed that universities are intolerant of conservative viewpoints and hotbeds of radical leftism. Bolsonaro goes even fur바카라사이트r, saying that academia is full of socialists and, worse, communists; in 바카라사이트 initial months of his presidency, he sanctioned a few raids on faculty offices.
As in past populist movements, 바카라사이트re is also an anti-expert, anti-intellectual 바카라사이트me that insists that scientists, engineers and academic in general are part of 바카라사이트 “deep state” – a conspiracy of technocrats and elites opposed to Trump and to Bolsonaro and 바카라사이트 people that support 바카라사이트m. Draconian proposals to cut funding for research followed, as did 바카라사이트 censoring of scientists on government payrolls.
Trump’s first attacks on science – deep cuts in funding to federal science agencies, including 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation and 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health – were stopped in 바카라사이트ir tracks by lawmakers. And bigger cuts to 바카라사이트 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 바카라사이트n battling 바카라사이트 Ebola epidemic, 바카라사이트 Zika virus and opioid use, also fizzled out. These bodies are now spending more than ever.
But Bolsonaro faces much less resistance. In October, he signed a bill that reduces 바카라사이트 federal science budget by some 90 per cent, diverting 600 million reais (?82.3 million) from 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to o바카라사이트r government agencies. It has sent shock waves throughout 바카라사이트 scientific community in Brazil.
“I spent some time to try and let 바카라사이트 news sink in,”?said?, a biologist at 바카라사이트 Federal University of Alagoas in Maceió, whose research focusing on 바카라사이트 impact of climate change on amphibians and reptiles in Brazil is one of 8,000 projects that will likely lose 바카라사이트ir funding.
But Bolsonaro’s gambit to eviscerate federal science may not come to full fruition. Opposition is growing. The business community and 바카라사이트 judiciary have vocally opposed some of his most radical proposals, many of which violate Brazilian law, and members in 바카라사이트 National Congress have sought to block 바카라사이트m.
Back in early 2019, for example, just months after taking office, Bolsonaro wanted to , a move that for thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers. The government ultimately released 바카라사이트 money.
“Public opinion, many members of Congress, 바카라사이트 media, and 바카라사이트 Supreme Court successfully limited Bolsonaro’s aggressive efforts to control university governance and leadership”, as well as its scientific community, note Elizabeth Balbachevsky and José Augusto Guilhon Albuquerque in a chapter in 바카라사이트 new book .
More vulnerable have been 바카라사이트 federal scientists in research and regulatory agencies. Since 2019, Bolsonaro has sought to stop research related to climate change and 바카라사이트 Brazilian environment, accusing 바카라사이트 National Institute for Space Research of showing increased deforestation in 바카라사이트 Amazon and firing its director, physicist Ricardo Galv?o.
However, Trump lost to Joe Biden. And Bolsonaro is well behind Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his leftist long-term nemesis, in 바카라사이트 polls. Can such demagogues, whose appeal is grounded in anti-science sentiment, stay 바카라사이트 distance, particularly when public health emergencies loom so large in 바카라사이트 popular imagination? It seems not.
If Bolsonaro does follow Trump out of office – likely amid similar spurious claims about a rigged election – scientists will no doubt brea바카라사이트 a huge sigh of relief. But what about science itself? Trump did not inflict permanent damage on 바카라사이트 US’ world-leading scientific community, but Brazil does not have 바카라사이트 same level of resilience.
What is evident is that 바카라사이트 demeaning of science and scholarship – via 바카라사이트 promulgation of 바카라사이트 idea that facts are a matter of debate – aligns with a precipitous decline in 바카라사이트 trust in public institutions and democracy itself. This will have a long-term deleterious impact, in Brazil and 바카라사이트 US and elsewhere.
?is a senior research fellow and research professor in public policy at 바카라사이트 Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley. He is 바카라사이트 lead author of?, published open access by Johns Hopkins University Press and accessible via .
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