Generation June

December 22, 2013 10:43 AM

Fury, anarchy, martyrdom: Why the youth of Brazil are (forever) protesting, and how their anger may consume the World Cup. (hat tip).
posted by adamvasco (13 comments total)

Here are some cultural anthropologists I trust weighing in on this question.
posted by umbú at 11:36 AM on December 22, 2013 [4 favorites]

Well, the world cup is a corrupt cherry on the top of the corruption that is globalism. So, there is some symmetry there.
posted by clvrmnky at 12:38 PM on December 22, 2013 [4 favorites]

I'm with @clvrmnky. Reading about corruption in the world cup makes me think they're trying to compete with the IOC for most completely morally bankrupt sports organization on the planet.
posted by kjs3 at 1:29 PM on December 22, 2013 [3 favorites]

Reading about corruption in the world cup makes me think they're trying to compete with the IOC for most completely morally bankrupt sports organization on the planet.

Hah, I just came in to make a point on the general theme of "I think the IOC exists only to show that FIFA is not actually the world's most corrupt organization."
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 1:32 PM on December 22, 2013 [2 favorites]

Formula 1 would like a word with you all.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 1:41 PM on December 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

That's a fine, moving piece of reporting. Thanks for posting it.
posted by languagehat at 1:55 PM on December 22, 2013

The state of construction leading up to the World Cup is crazy.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:12 PM on December 22, 2013

psst. The NFL runs tax free.
posted by telstar at 2:18 PM on December 22, 2013 [4 favorites]

I read the article... It was about more than "corruption" and "globalization." Seemed to be about how a "socialist" government has lost its way.
posted by KokuRyu at 3:10 PM on December 22, 2013

KokuRyu: The state of construction leading up to the World Cup is crazy crappy:

SAO PAULO (AP) — A construction worker fell to his death Saturday from the roof of a World Cup stadium being built in the jungle city of Manaus, marking the latest setback to hit Brazil before it hosts football's showcase event next year.

It was the second death at the Arena Amazonia this year, and the third fatality in a World Cup stadium in less than a month.

A few hours after Saturday's death, another worker died of a heart attack while working outside the venue in Manaus, and a local union threatened to start a strike there on Monday to complain about inadequate conditions offered to laborers.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:12 PM on December 22, 2013

For those interested further in Wright Thompson's writing; Longform archive has a good selection.
posted by adamvasco at 6:04 AM on December 23, 2013

And now we have ''Rolezinho''.
posted by adamvasco at 5:41 AM on January 22, 2014

Thanks for that; it's a great explanation of an interesting phenomenon. And:

In one incident in 2009, for example, a black man was nearly beaten to death in the suburbs of São Paulo for driving an SUV; security guards at a Carrefour thought he was stealing it. Unfortunately, some see Brazilians of color as out of place in places like malls--places they used to rarely or never frequent before the growth of the new middle class.

So much for "We Brazilians aren't racist! We don't even notice race!"
posted by languagehat at 8:49 AM on January 22, 2014