Brazil 501

Beginning of article

BRAZIL has entered the twenty-first century amid a national identity crisis, just as it celebrates the fifth centenary of its discovery. Brazil's crisis is not simply a matter of the current economic difficulties nor is it due to the long absence of a World Cup win. It is a self-defeating belief that things can only get worse because in the past nothing ever worked properly. Such determinism is caused by the prolonged uncertainty regarding the national ethos and where Brazil stands in the global context. Brazil's national identity crisis can be personified by a mischievous Janus that beckons both the future and the past at the same time. Should Brazil follow the path of the Asian tigers or dwindle within itself whilst whinging for commiseration?

The greatest leap into the future took place in 1992, when Brazil finally opened its market and lifted most of the existing barriers to importation. This move conveyed a positive message to the rest of the world and resulted in attracting vast amounts of foreian investments. Meanwhile, state companies were privatized and the national ownership requirement was removed from formerly closed sectors of the economy. Borders between …