Bolsonaro says he never called covid-19 a "little flu", a claim that can easily be disproven -there are videos of him saying just that. He knows, of course. Yet lying so blatantly without consequence is a demonstration of power: he's not bound by truth &can get away with anything
Indeed, for populists with authoritarian tendencies, systematic lying is an important strategy -- not only to anesthetize the population, but also to push the boundaries of what is acceptable little by little.
For an autocratic populist, lying blatantly -- i.e., without even trying to conceal the lies -- is like a test of loyalty. His followers must make a choice: either they are with or against the movement. Absolute loyalty involves defending the leader even if he is obviously wrong.
It is also, as we all know, and old strategy to provoke and distract the opposition: "I can lie and you can't do anything about it." Bolsonaro's followers actively copy this strategy on social media, implying that electoral victory gives him and them permission to whatever.
None of these strategies have been invented by Bolsonaro. Populists who sought to destroy democracy have been using them for ages, often telling lies that were so ridiculous that opponents initially laughed them off.
But we too often make the same mistakes over and over again, telling ourselves that Bolsonaro is just a fool who has no clue and no plan. Just like people in Venezuela, Turkey and the Philippines, who called their leaders pathetic clowns, before their democracies perished.
If you think Bolsonaro has not been extremely successful in eroding the political system, consider this: Brazilian election officials recently said it's 'inevitable' that Bolsonaro will question results of 2022 presidential contest if he loses. And that has been normalized.
Source: "Ministros já consideram 'inevitável' tentativa de Bolsonaro de contestar eleição se perder em 2022" www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/bruno-…
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