Portugal is one of the oldest countries in the world but one of the youngest democracies. Anyone that knows how the country is knows how undemocratic this form democracy is and how unfree this freedom is.
That’s a bold statement that makes much more sense under different perspectives: I will take the liberty of defining democracy by the results achieved instead of the simple defining it ability of everyday people to vote).
There’s this saying: “Only freedom is free“
And under that context:
1) Happy 50th birthday, dear home country
You deserved the Carnation Revolution that stopped a pointless, retarded and regressive dictatorship. The hope for freedom was everything that many could hold onto.
2) Please stop celebrations that constantly avoid to answer how the promised freedom was stolen
The “problem” with democracy is that, it is a never-ending evolution and fight to keept it alive.
You don’t get the right to it by showing up on April 25 1974. You have to keep pushing for it.
It is easy to argue that Portugal changed a dictator for a duopolist group of interests when politicians turned into an Illiberal Democracy, and hybrid regime that refused to transition from the dictatorship
Portugal (unlike many other countries) moved forward while being stuck in the past. I visited Estonia in 2001 and saw a country hungry for leaving the Cold War behind, hungry to become part of the Western world. Portugal got rid of a dictatorship but got stuck on the transition: illiberal, non-rational socialism became the norm (even inscribed in the constitution) because it was one side fighting others that were trying to turn the country into a fully-Communist regime.
From that point on, lack of quality politicians sentenced the country into a deep rabbit hole that Portugal couldn’t get out of.
Simple comparison: GDP growth since 1974
- Portugal: 10x
- Ireland: 68x
- Estonia: ~25-30x
- Slovakia=25-40x
None of those countries had an easier start than Portugal.
Ie, Potugal could have today a GDP aligned with northern European countries. Is that 70% that didn’t happen = 70% of freedom stollen?
If so, why tell me again about some red flowers while ignoring the next 50 years Changing that dynamic is the true revolution that Portugal needs.
Symptom 1: The eternal ghost of abstention
If you read the media, you find out that Portugal just had an “historic” election with higher turnover. Well, with the exception of the first election after 1974, Portuguese NEVER.. had as much participation as Denmark’s consistent participation (80-86% turnout).
Symptom 2: 1.2 million votes are dumb
If you read the media and look at the reaction of people and parties after the last election, you will notice how radical the left is in Portugal. 1.2M people (33% of votes) that chose a right-wing party raising important issues in a populist tone were literally called dumb and idiots that shouldn’t be allowed to vote. That’s not how democracy works. But that’s how the pseudo-wanna be intellectuals from the dominant hybrid regime decided to handle the new political voice.
There was no interest in saying “We hear the people and we will address your concerns” even if your party did not get to govern”.
There was no interest in recognizing that Germany actually became Nazi when political divisions blocked it parliament’s ability to function, and that Portugal entered into the exact same tone by ignoring a important faction holding 33% of a fragmented parliament.
There was no interest in recognizing that freedom, and democracy also means to embrace the inconvenient voices.
Ignoring 33% of the voices now because they are inconvenient will turn into 50%+ on the next time that the voiceless have a chance to have a voice.
Symptom 3: Universal free healthcare is not universal or free
Lying is ugly. And Portuguese politicians have been doing it for long.
In 20 years, private health insurance became the norm and private hospitals are now generating profits to shareholders by filling the gap.
Meanwhile, people don’t live as long as they can, despite having the best Mediterranean diet in the world.
The same deception continues happening on all of the most important sectors of society: education, economy and migration.