Education is NOT the answer

At least in Brazil, people keep talking about education and how it can solve the problem of irresponsible parenting, crime, and many woes of society. I hear the same yarn from all over the world as well. Now, if education was the answer, how come a lot of educated people all over the world keep [...]

Bolsa familia and its unexpected results

One of the good effects of Bolsa Familia (BOAsa fumMEElia),  besides helping the poor, was to get the impoverished in big cities like São Paulo to go back to their places of origin, and keep people in the disadvantaged regions from coming to São Paulo. Immigration is good, it can bring plenty of diversity and [...]

Women in Brazil Beware!

“In Brazil a woman gets hit or beaten up every 15 seconds. As long as the hitting or beating up takes places at home, people think it is not that serious.” Those are the words of a beautiful judge, Vanessa Ribeiro Mateus, who just took office as head of Sao Paulo State’s judicial branch in [...]