Some of the weird sentences are my fault, as I translated this very quickly from the PT web site. (http://www.pt.org.br) A lot them are José's own. He is, erm, idiosyncratic. Not quite a Brazilian Ross Perot, but on his way...
Q: What is the role of a nation in the age of globalization? Is there space for a self-oriented project in a world of internationalised capital and interests which are detached from territory and from people?
J.A.: To abdicate this right is something for banana republics, not for Brazil. Brazil is a country rich in human and natural resources. It is peerless in this respect. With our dimension and our population we have the capacity to take up a space of our own
Q: How is this reconciled with the dominant forces of a globalized economy?
J.A. Economic globalization is a fact. Very well. We could even open up our borders, open the ports, remove any local protection. However, it is symptomatic that the USA, the world's leading economic power, does not do this. Preaches it, but does not do it. On the contrary. It uses very high tariffs to hold off our orange juice, to defend its orange groves in Florida. That is, we could give up our economic borders, but what of our political borders? Will we have only one president in a globalized world? Would he defend our interests? Would we have only one currency? Who will control it? Only one monetary policy? Only one interest rate? We know that this is not so. Therefore, if it is not so, we continue to exist as a country. Therefore, we cannot abandon our borders and political obligations.
Q: Are you against free trade? [open trade]
J.A.: We want Brazil to be an open country. But open in an organized way and within the law. In the same way as the UK, USA, Japan and all members of the G7. Actually, it is for this reason that they are amongst the seven richest countries in the world. We, even though we are potentially greater than them, are there, walking with difficulty, with this debt, with this subservience and this obediency which has affected our national sovereignty. We are a country which in the past was considered to be the promised land to which our ancestors came as migrants. Today we have inverted the flux. Young Brazilians are leaving the country to seek job opportunities in countries with lesser prospects than our own. This cannot go on. We cannot loose the opportunity to resume growth. We must return to Brazil. To vote for Lula is to vote for Brazil, without fear, because Brazil needs to recover even its self-esteem, and on this Lula speaks wisely.
<snip: why it is good to change the political guard once in a while>
Q: Why does a business man of your stature choose Lula as candidate and partner in the presidential ticket?
J.A.: There is a great affinity between us: we both had humble origins. My career was entirely in the economic field; his in the political field. But I always considered him a giant, a winner, one of those that the Americans have in their dreams. A man who got started way down there and accomplishes admirable work in the political field. Has contested three elections, does not have one ethical or moral scratch in his life. His dedication, his word....< blah blah blah> A victory for the PT is a victory for the 70% who want to change the political guard.
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