There's nothing coincidental about regular protests across large cities in Brazil to denounced pandemic lockdown. Rather, they are carefully induced events that reflect a commonality among all populist leaders: the need for constant mobilization of supporters. [thread]
Bolsonaro is merely applying a strategy that has been adopted by numerous populists with autocratic tendencies before him, like Chávez & Orbán. Pro-regime protests do not occur in healthy democracies. They are the product of a leader asking his followers to attack a chosen enemy.
In Venezuela's case, Chávez asked his supporters to protest against the United States. In Hungary, Orbán asked them to mobilize against immigrants. In Brazil, Bolsonaro asks followers, providing sophisticated cues, to protest against the pandemic lockdown.
The ONLY WAY to keep followers mobilized is by inducing fear. People NEVER take the streets because they admire a leader. Germans who like Angela Merkel would never take the streets. So Bolsonaro's job is to carefully imagine threats and awaken fears amongst his followers.
That takes an enormous amount of creativity. It also involves transforming even straightforward topics into partisan war. Literally, everything, even Carnival. It doesn't matter how. Just create division and fear. So far, Bolsonaro has succeeded masterfully.
There is a relatively straightforward way to respond to the pandemic. 1. Listen to experts 2. Negotiate with governors. The problem is, THAT WOULD FAIL TO MOBILIZE HIS FOLLOWERS. As a consequence, it is better to transform the pandemic into an ideological war against communism.
When looking at Bolsonaro through this lens, his strategy appears guided by a clear logic and discipline. Whatever problem will emerge in Brazil, Bolsonaro will look at it and ask: How can I transform this into something really scary for my followers?
That is why the opposition fails to anticipate Bolsonaro's next moves -- because it is not based on policy analysis but rather on a creative process in his mind. Example: the idea that the pandemic lockdown is a secret plan to impose communism. That's exceptionally creative.
Indeed, managing to transform a pandemic - a deeply humbling crisis that normally unites people - into a divise affair requires rare skills. Sometimes Bolsonaro's moves remind me of what my professor of creative writing in high school told me: "There are no limits to imagination"
Once the level of fear and paranoia has reached a certain point, the populist with autocratic tendencies can project himself as a saviour who reluctantly adopts radical measures (i.e. anti-democratic) to protect the people from the supposed threats he conjured up. --END--
