{"article":{"id":250913,"heading":"THE 'FATHERIZATION' IN THE USA ELECTIONS","author":"F\u00e1bio de Oliveira Ribeiro","created":"2012-01-11 11:44:54","modified":"2026-10-25 17:02:54","last_modified":"Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:02:54","article":"

All presidential candidates USA Presidency, especially those who play a vacancy for the Republican Party, are using their families to try to win the hearts and minds of voters. They act as if they were certain that in the trenches of America \"family values\" (whatever that means in a country willing to sell anything) produce votes.





This behavior of presidential candidates made me think a lot. After all, the Yankee elections no longer fit well to the concept of \"spectacle\" created by Guy Debord. The \"show\", it never hurts to repeat, has or should have a public dimension and the Yankee elections become increasingly a private matter, family matter.





In the USA the figure of the President public has lost its substance. Henceforth the occupant of the White House will not be the head of state elected by the people. He is only the \"big father\" that most Americans would like to have and had.





And like any good \"big father\" the American President will not treat all children equally. First he will take care of your favorite kids the prodigal bankers and industrialists who gave money to campaign for him of his family virtues). Then he will say to other children (the poor American, unemployed, underemployed or immigrant) that each one must look after their own interests and not even the father of the nation may interfere in the problems of their children (because that's the American dream, that is freedom to act and suffer - now most to suffer than to act).





The \"fatherization\" of the American presidency will force the new President occupy much of their time on things less and less relevant, how to forgive turkey in the thanksgiving day, wish a happy Christmas to all Americans on TV, to be photographed with the soldiers, participating in charity TV shows to raise funds and etc ... A \"big father\" President does not govern, let every public to govern themselves in their own interests. And as the interests that predominate in the USA are those that revolve around the huge military machine in the country, the government will be left increasingly to the Pentagon, which will continue planning new wars and telling the American \"big father\" when he read the war statement in Congress.





The public spectacle of the war will be taken to \"big father\" by satellite in real time. But despite being the constitutional commander of the Armed Forces he will lead anyone anywhere.





Soon we can say here that Brazil export to the USA its model of government that ruled Brazilians in the years 1930\/1950. After all, \"fatherization\" of Presidency was invented by the President Getulio Vargas and exercised by him with great skill for almost two decades. Even at the time of his death Vargas introduced himself as the \"big father\" who dies not to sacrifice their children. Therefore, nobody should be surprised if 50 years from now the Americans recognize the Brazilian Getulio Vargas as its new \"Founding Father.\"





This is Brazil making history in USA. And here, too.<\/p>\n","contact":"sithan@ig.com.br","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Ironies of a country that sees itself as being different, but which is actually equal.","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2012\/01\/250913.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}