So, while on vacation in Lisbon, I was told that the local TV station asked if I could be interviewed. Yeah, this kinda shocked me.
It shocked me even more when I found out that I was one of the main guests. Sorry, but how does a shlep like me get to that point? I still can't figure it out.
Anywho, for those who know Portuguese, here's the video of the show, Azores.RTP.PT
So, this is the new PM of the country. His name, Pedro Passos Coelho. And so far, I am liking what I am hearing from him and his government and what measures he is planning to move forward with.
And those who have read my blog up until now will probably figure that, if I like it, the majority of Portuguese will hate it. And I can accept this since I've said many times in the past that this society need a good shock to the system. A wake up call so that they can go to being what I think they are capable of and not what they currently are.
Ok, there is one thing they did that I didn't like, but I compeletly understand it. They enacted an extraordinary tax on christmas bonuses for this year. The cut is supposed to be 50% of that of which is over the value of the national minimum wage(essentially, take the amount of the bonus, subtract the NMW value of €485 and that remainder is what gets the 50% tax). This special tax is estimated to bring in nearly €1billion. In return the government is advancing with a series of privitizations, eliminating certain public positions and selling its property, which should sum up to another €1billion
Now, I usually don't like when the government takes more money out of my wallet, in fact, I despise it. HOWEVER, I understand why this was done. There was a fairly big shortfall in the budget of about €2billion, and this country has a series of very strict obligations set forth by the IMF, the European Commmission and the European Union to reduce the deficit to 5.9% by the end of the year if we are to continue to receive financial aid to help get us out of this mess we're in. That said, the current number should be at 6.7% and not the 7.7% it is now. Now, while I don't like the state take more money from me, if my contribution goes towards an actual goal of helping re-establish our finances and help make things better, then it's a sacrifice I'm willing to take. But let it be known that sacrifices this big better not be a common occurance.
To those who are complaining, if you know of a better way to come up with nearly €2billion in under 6 months, I'm sure the government would be willing to hear you out. And that wasn't sarcasm.
Now, with that said. There are other measures that are planned to take place over the next 4 years. Measures such as simplying the tax code, reducing the number of income tax pay scales, revising both the labor laws and rent laws and implementing measure to speed up the justice system to help expediate court cases that have dragged on for nearly a decade.
All of this to go along with possible consititutional revisions that will include, among other things, redoing the electoral law by eliminating party lists in favor of uninominal candidates(ABOUT TIME).
I like how this government was formed, with people who, for the most part, aren't career politicians but rather have their own professional lives and don't need any benefits at the taxpayer's expense. This is a very refreshing change from the constant recycling of the same faces that proved to do nothing but worsen the situation of the country.
Now, while it's still early, and this government may end up being another facsimile of past governments(living here for 16 years, you grow wary of people promising change and doing nothing), I do like what they are saying and what they are putting forth in parliament. It almost seems like this government is doing the one thing most of Europe doesn't like seeing, they're actually acting like a right-wing government.
A new year and, in this country, alot of fears. Namely of the economic variety. But yet, I don't see why people are so shocked. I mentioned, in a rather elaborate(and maybe not the most PC manner), in my last blog post that we only have ourselves to blame for this. Years of overspending and living far beyond our own expectations was a recipe for disaster. And we make matters worse with our extreme political apathy, voting in people who clearly don't serve the people but rather themselves, and then blaming some fictitious entities for the representatives we put in office rather than looking into a mirror.
Earlier this year, I took a weekend trip to Lisbon and one of the stops I made was to the Colombo Shopping Center, once regarded as the largest mall in Europe some time ago. I was hard pressed to believe that we were in a financial crisis since the mall was PACKED, and people were making lines in some of these stores. Money was definitely being circulated....alot of it. Kids with expensive cell phones, wearing designer clothing, or getting new computers. Or people buying new LCD TVs. You name it, it was being sold and not in small quantities, and worse yet, with ALOT of credit and little to no cash.
What I find funny is that alot of people here accuse Americans of being consumerist. And maybe they are right. Portuguese aren't consumerist like Americans......they're even more consumerist.
More and more, I've come to a grim reality. We Portuguese don't make too many moves in terms of progress and success because we dislike progress and success. In fact, we think it's damn near criminal that anyone or any group should be successful. We demand the spotlight for ourselves while doing nothing and get angry when those who worked for the spotlight actually get it.
Think I'm kidding? Talk to some of the locals about businesses doing well here or nationally and you probably wouldn't need a whole hand to count the people who speak well of said businesses. Most will do the exact opposite. If it's Sonae, then it's accusations that Belmiro de Azevedo is a cheapskate(even though he is one of the largest private employers in the nation and Belmiro started this operation literally with nothing). If a restaurant is doing well, then rumors of bad food start flying. If a dealership is doing well, then it's talk of bad service. After a while, you just want to lash out at these naysayers.
A while back, there was a NY Times article about how Portugal was in the forefront in renewable energy. This was thanks largely to the policies put forth by the current prime minister, José Socrates. While I usually hold alot of disdain towards him(mainly due to a few very suspicious dealings with a TV station and a mall), credit to where credit's due. This was no small feat. However, there are those, many of those, who look past that and say that these measures were horrible and that this is only to profit the national electric company. Yes, people even criticised something that was receiving international recognition(something that is a big rarity these days for Portugal)
Hell, even when money isn't involved, people still dislike seeing progress. I know of cases where groups and associations were run effeciently and carried a great deal of legitimacy and success thanks to the tireless, and in many cases, thankless effort and hard work from those in charge who, in exchange, received nothing, only to be attacked and berated all because of petty jealousy of others who want all of the credit attained but none of the work that was involved to attin it. Worse yet, those who do the berating, when given the chance to back their words up and take charge, do nothing but prove their own ineptitude.
So, nowadays, when I hear some people with their tavern talk wonder why we don't advance more as a country, I don't bother saying anything anymore, I just laugh.
Finally, on a lighter note. It's that time of the year, the NFL playoffs. And I've definitely enjoyed seeing the Patriots play this season. They've been playing their best football since the 2001-04 period. Yes, I know they broke a ton of records in 2007, when Brady was throwing what seemed like a million TDs to Randy Moss, but even then, I just didn't feel that said team was really "all there". It was alot of flash but not really that much substance, and was worsened with a defense that was starting to show their age and subsequent lack of speed.
This year's team seems to have figured it out: a return to the team concept, where everyone gives an important contribution, guided by a quarterback who seems to be incredibly flawless behind an offensive line that is always well-coached, a head coach who stresses extreme humility to his players, and a corps of youth and veterans who are all focused on the team rather than themselves, and last but not least, a defense that seems to step in and make plays when it matters. While they won't kill you with a 50 yard pass or rip a 70 yard run, they'll gnaw away with the short gains, add a few solid runs up the middle, keep moving the chains and then a pass to a TE to put points on the board in the end.
Even if they don't win it all, hell, even if they don't win their first playoff game, it's been nothing short of great seeing this team perform and I as a fan look forward for the next few years with this group of players.
You know, I see the news of the upcoming general strike here in Portugal, and I laugh. Seriously. Do we REALLY think that a day off is going to change this government's intention of implementing it's austerity measures?
People laugh at the Tea Party in the states, but they showed EXACTLY how to make their voices heard, be it there or anywhere else where there's a democracy worthy of it's very name. Form civic movements, make yourself heard, go the source and make sure those in power can hear you, loud and clear, day in and day out. 1 day of belly aching isn't going to change a damn thing and ceding to unions and the "status quo" political parties haven't done much so far. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Am I saying that this govenrment is 100% right? Hell no! I'm sure I've noted in the past of the continuous pork-barrel spending, the unnecessary entitlement programs, the constant pandering to unions, and it's unseemingly endless attempts and trying to meddle with private enterprise. But guess what folks, WE ELECTED THESE DIMWITS INTO POWER! Yes, we. Not someone else off the streets. Not "big corporations" or "private interest groups", WE DID. You want to start somewhere in trying to change the course of this country? LOOK IN THE MIRROR! I remember when Socrates was first voted in and thinking then that most who voted for him didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. Now they attack him, but forget that they were the ones who put him in power......TWICE! Government, in any democracy, is ALWAYS a clear reflection of the people that voted them in. You may hate that line, but that's the truth.
We're in a heap of trouble financially right now because we, again WE, simply couldn't say when. We demanded free health care, we demanded job security, we demanded massive handouts, we demanded easy access to public sector jobs as if there was an endless supply of them, and we demanded easy credit without any assurances that we'd pay it off. Now, after pigging out at the financial buffet for years, we're footed with the bill and, while our faces are still stained, are claiming we didn't eat any of that? Who in the hell are we fooling?
And here's the kicker. Alot of the benefits and entitlements could still be saved. That's right, the health care, the job benefits, the entitlements, could be saved. No, it's not through hiking taxes, nor is it though simple budget cuts. It's, once again, through ourselves. We need to make a difference in this country. We need to step up and do what we do, but do it better, faster and more efficiently. If you work the fields, get those crops in quicker and try to make them better. If you're in a facotry, make your product more reliable, more attactive and appealing to the consumer. If you're in an administrative position, get your work done well before the deadline and with as little flaws as possible. By doing these simple things, we improve as a whole. We start becoming true masters of our own destiny, and we can start naming our own price instead of expecting an easy handout. Results matter, folks.
People are refusing to accept the reality of this situation. We are in SERIOUS trouble, folks. I don't think people quite understand the possible "end game" in this which could very well be technical bankruptcy. You DON'T want foreign investment to stop investing in this country because we are not self-reliant, not in the least. A situation of an IMF intervention, while not doing much more financially, would have a brutal blow towards our credibility and image as a nation. Hate to break it to you folks, but we're not the US, UK, Germany, France, etc... We're Portugal. We're a tiny little country in the Iberian Peninsula that most don't even know exists. We can't live without the outside world giving us credibility. To return to the pre-1986 times would have a devastating effect, not only to those in power, but all of us too. Inflation and unemployment would surely skyrocket and we'd be no better than Albania.
So. Instead of not working for a day. How about making that sacrifice and understanding that we're all in this together? Stop passing the buck and start accepting your flaws and faults. Stop blaming others and start making a difference yourself. We got into the mess together, we can get out of this mess together.
I gotta admit. This nutjob must be loving the current economic situation going on in the world, but here in Portugal more importantly. Banks losing money and being nationalized, workers striking, general sense of insecurity. All the things that make any communist smile from ear to ear because it generates an atmosphere that welcomes radicals who promise the world and deliver nothing but worse results(Lenin, Hitler and Moussolini are 3 examples).RULE 1: "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have." Power is derived from 2 main sources - money and people. "Have-Nots" must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)
RULE 2: "Never go outside the expertise of your people." It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don't address the "real" issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)
RULE 3: "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy." Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)
RULE 4: "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity's very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)
RULE 5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." There is no defense. It's irrational. It's infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)
RULE 6: "A good tactic is one your people enjoy." They'll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They're doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid "un-fun" activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)
RULE 7: "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag." Don't become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)
RULE 8: "Keep the pressure on. Never let up." Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)
RULE 9: "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself." Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists' minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)
RULE 10: "If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive." Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management's wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)
RULE 11: "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative." Never let the enemy score points because you're caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)
RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)
It sure has been a VERY long while since I've updated this blog. I guess there was nothing worthwhile to talk about. Well, that changed as of yesterday.
You know, with the US presidential elections about a month and a half away, there's a word that gets tossed around a bit more around this time. It's a derogatory word called "Pork". No, this has nothing to do with the bacon you eat each morning. This is a term used by politicians to describe excess expenditures by the government.
Now, in the US, pork spending isn't uncommon. Many people crack jokes about the "$10,000 toilet seats" when referring to how government appropriation bills tend to give a little too much cash for certain items. However, here in Europe, pork spending has been perfected to an art form of comedic proportions. Which leads me to what happened yesterday evening.
I get home and check my mailbox, and in it, I discover this nice glossy box with "Government of the Azores" written on it:
Right off the bat, my Libertarian mind starts having very nauseating thoughts. Thoughts of "This is where my hard-earned tax dollars went?!?". Those nauseating thoughts would soon become worse as I proceeded to open the box and see it's content:
Yup, all of THAT came out of that nice, shiny cardboard box. And that consists of:
| 1 Azorean Flag made in a very nice fabric, might I add. I mean, if you're going to waste my tax money, hey, do it in style. | 
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| 2 Azorean flag window stickers. This way, you can tell everyone else that you were taken for a sucker by your own government. |
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| A CD containing, not one, but TWO versions of the Azorean anthem(yes, this region actually has an anthem that is played PRIOR to the Portuguese National Anthem on the TV station here) and played by a military band(which I'm sure did this out of charity...) |
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| A pamphlet detailing all the medals the Azorean Government gives out. Now we're bordering on absurd. I wonder if there's one for the Order of Idiocy, because the one who came up with this idea is certainly deserving of it. | 
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| And last and most certainly least, a form letter from the Azorean Regional President, Carlos Cesar. Even says so on the bottom, though, it doesn't even contain a computerized signature or anything... |  |
The letter itself. Well, translating it into English, here's what it said:
Our Autonomy, founded in secular aspirations of self-governing and largely supported by the Azorean People, include a group of representative elements that accentuate our cultural identification and our institutional individuality.
Therefor, we have the duty to promote and respect our symbols.
The distribution we are doing right now - of our Flag and our Anthem - is to specifically give a better understanding of these elements that mark our collective lives as a Region.
These are the objectives of this Autonomy Kit, which will arrive in every single Azorean home.
CARLOS CÉSAR
President of the Azorean Government
Gee Carlos, thanks for being so thoughtful. I mean, not only are we to be more aware of these symbols, but these items will be sent to EVERYONE IN THE REGION. How nice of you. By the way, here's another Euro, take it and a BUY A CLUE!
I mean, rather than taking the tax money used in this absurd venture and, say, investing it into the school system as to teach our youth more about the region, this government thought it would be better to simply give each family a flag and a CD. How lovely.
This really shouldn't surprise me. After all this is a government that is ruled by the Socialist Party, so spending tax money on stupid initiatives is already a fairly common trait for them. However, this is even more insulting then when they give free houses to deadbeats who don't work because it's so blatant. They are literally saying "Yup, we're wasting your tax money. And we're going to keep doing it because you never complain.".
And the people here really don't complain, they accept this as normal. They literally look at this and don't care. Seems that all these years of handouts and welfare has subdued the locals into complacency. And, because the people don't question or demand transparency when it comes to their tax money, the government KEEPS DOING IT. How unbelievably infuriating!
And, for those of you living in the US. Should Obama get elected and, sometime down the road, you get a "Freedom Kit" containing an American flag, stickers and a CD of the Star Spangled Banner, let me be the first one in advance to say "I feel your pain".
As of this past January 1st, it is now forbidden to smoke in most establishments here in Portugal. From restaurants, to bars, to supermarkets, to malls. You name it. The anti-smoking law is in full effect...Ok, as some of you may have noticed, I haven't been updating this blog in a while. As some of you also know, I generally don't update this blog on a daily basis. I usually wait until there is something that is really gnawing at me to the point where I just HAVE to put it here.
However, since I really don't have anything of real importance to talk about, I decided to take a handful of current events here in Portugal to comment on.
Now, it seems that the Portuguese Judiciary Police have listed the mother as a suspect. Well gee, no kidding? I mean, about a week after this girl is missing, her and her husband decide to hold press conferences in England, Germany, France and even go to the Vatican City to meet the Pope. Let me repeat: They decided to go TRAVELLING a week after their daughter went missing. Oh yeah, that's not going to draw any suspicions. And OJ Simpson is still looking for the real killer.
To top it off, aside from leaving her and their 2 other daughters in the hotel room while they decide to go to a restaurant, she was sleeping BETWEEN the other 2 girls, and yet, the 2 other girls are still there and there was no signs of breaking an entry nor any real signs of a struggle. So yeah, Mrs. McCann, this isn't looking too good for you.
decided to suspend the coach of the Portuguese national team, Luis Felipe Scolari, for 4 games, which happens to be how many games they have left in the qualifying round for the 2008 European Cup.
Now, fast forward to a couple fo days later, Chelsea supercoach, Jose Mourinho, out of the blue, decided to have an "amicable seperation" with said club. News that was so important, that one of the local Portuguese networks, SIC, decided to cut away from an interview with a local political figure, Pedro Santana Lopes, who was talking about the current social and political situation in Portugal, to go to an update of Mourinho's departure from Chelsea, complete with an "on location" reporter at the Lisbon airport, awaiting Mourinho's arrival (a decision that left Santana Lopes furious once they went back to the interview, causing him to end the interview early).
NOTE: Sorry, this is solely in Portuguese, though I hope some may understand the mannerisms from this video.
I will say one thing about this video, Santana Lopes was right. It's pretty sad that they would cut away from this particular interview just to talk about a sports-related issue. Imagine CNN interviewing George W. Bush and cutting away in the middle of said interview to give an update on Bill Belichick. Pretty sad indeed.
But I digress.
Anywho, a few days after Mourinho's departure, the head of the Portuguese Soccer Federation, Jose Madail, said that he is putting his full trust in Scolari. Essentially, what happened was that Madail was worried that the "Tugas", currently in 3rd place in their qualifying group, which would keep them out of Euro2008, decided to call Mourinho, who wanted to take over. But Madail didn't want to fire Scolari right now so, rather than offer the job outright to Mourinho, he asked him that, if Scolari couldn't qualify the Tugas to Euro2008 and was fired, if he would like to take over then. Mourinho, a man who hates to live in uncertanty, said no, forcing Madail to have to support Scolari from here on out.
So, we have a slap, a termination of employment, a political interview being cut due to sports-related news and a bunch of double-talk.
That's Portuguese soccer for ya.
Well, this one is a little old, but for those who don't live here, I'll fill you in.
In this ocuntry, our constitution forbids the formation of fascist parties (mainly due to the 1974 revolution), however, this is one party that managed to go around this law by claiming to be "highly conservative, but not fascist" called the National Renovation Party (Partido Nacional Renovador or PNR). This party bases itself on a platform of anti-immigration and a very racist-oriented agenda. Thankfully, said party gets the least amount of votes in each election.
However, earlier this year, they managed to get a license to put up a giant billboard in one of Lisbon's busiest rotary, the Marquês de Pombal rotary, which translated reads "No more immigration" and in smaller letters "Nationalism is the solution" with a plane taking off on the left with "have a nice trip" written next to it and a picture of their leader, José Pinto-Coelho,pictured on the right and "Portugal for the Portuguese" written on the bottom.
This billboard, since then, has been the target of vandalism and defacement, which has led to PNR to keep replacing it. However, one particular group, deicided to have some fun with it.
A comedy group known as Gato Fedorento (translated means "smelly cat") decided to put, right next to this billboard, a billboard of their own, which was pretty much a bizarro version of the original. In their version, they had written "More immigration!" with "The best way to annoy foreigners is to force them to live in Portugal" below it, a plane landing with "Welcome" written next it, the Gato Fedorento crew to the right with the same goatees the leader of PNR has and "With Portuguese alone, we're going nowhere" in the red square and "Nationalism is stupid" in the black square.
Now, why did I mention the last billboard in past tense? Because tthe Nationalists filed a complaint and won due to the fact that the Gato Fedorento crew didn't aquire a license before putting up the billboard, meaning that, while GF's billboard is no longer there, PNR's billboard is still there.
Yup, this is the country I love folks.
And that's pretty much it for now. I'll have another post up as soon as I can come up with enough stuff to talk about :)
Well, for the past few months, there has been campaigning in the streets here in Portugal with political parties about, left and right, movements of all kind giving out flyers, holding functions, throwing concerts and giving speeches.|
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10. Alvaro Cunhal (1913-2005) - Founder of the Portuguese Communist Party
 How this guy actually made it this far into the list is beyond me. People here in Portugal have this outlandish fascination for the late Cunhal, who was a devout Stalinist to the end. Here's a guy who's face is plastered into the minds of the nieve who think he was the true image of the 25th of April Revolution that brought democracy into this country. Lemme repeat, many people here think an old-school Communist actually represented democracy. The same guy who nearly plunged Portugal into a civil war in the "Verão Quente" or "Hot Summer" of 1975 because he was intent on making Portugal into a People's Republic (the irony of that term knows no boundries). You may laugh now.
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9. Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) - Poet
This guy made a number of, what some here say, "literary classics". His supposed claim to fame? He was able to write in multiple peronalities and used alcohol and anti-depressants to "even things out". In other words, he was a schizophrenic, drug-using booze hound who knew how to write decently. Yeah, there's someone I want to represent all Portuguese. I guess the local loon who pees in the flowers wasn't on this ballot. |
8. Sebastião de Melo (aka. The Marquis of Pombal) (1699-1782) - Statesman
 Was made de facto head of state and put in charge of rebuilding Lisbon after the Earthquake, Tsunami and Fire of 1755. Most of what is the "old" downtown of Lisbon was his work.
Of course, he was also a highly brutal and repressive dictator, made such by the "grace" of then King José I. In one particular case, he ordered the execution of the Tavora family (he implicated them in an assassination attempt against the King), without a fair trial, in a fashion that would even make the terrorists in Iraq cringe. I won't get into details as to not offend those easily offended.
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7. Afonso Henriques (aka. Afonso I) (1111-1185) - Founder and 1st King of Portugal
Well, this one was a given. After all, he was the founder of the country. But, he wasn't really a well-liked individual, which is intertwined with how this country was formed in the first place. Portugal pretty much originated with, to put it in the easiest way possible, a fight with his mother and cousin. His mother was the Queen of Castille and he fought with her in order to get the county of Portugal. He then argued with Pope in order to try and gain independence, which he got under very strict condtions (one of which was that he wasn't allowed to expand westward, only south, which was occupied by the Moors). And thus began the conquest of the 7 Moor castles (which are the same 7 castles that show up on the Portuguese flag today).
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6. Vasco da Gama (1468-1524) - Navigator
The very first European to find a rout to India. He pretty much started the notion of a "Global Community".
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5. Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) - Statesman
This was pretty much the guy that pioneered the age of European colonization of the "new world". It was his initiative to start the navigational school in Sagres that attracted, what would end up being, the big names during the age of discoveries. The Sagres school helped innovate navigation and topography.
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4. John II (1455-1495) - King
Although Prince Henry pioneered the age of discovery, it was King John II that gave his brother Henry the order to start such a venture....at the age of 19 no less. He was a visionary, no doubt about that.
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3. Luis de Camões (1525-1580) - Poet
Author of the book "Os Lusiadas", known here as the "Bible of Portuguese History", also known as the book every kid in Portuguese schools, from grades 5 through 12 have to endure 4 months out of each year until they are ready to commit suicide. Apparently, the reason why he's "blinking" is that he was once a soldier who fought against the Spanish and lost his right eye in combat. Apparently eyepatches were reserved for pirates in the 16th century.
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2. António de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1970) - Minister of Finance/Prime Minister/Dictator
I don't think you could get a worse bum rap than this guy. For alot who were born post-1974, they view him as a ruthless tyrant who governed Portugal like a police state and refused to give independence to the African colonies. However, if you were to actually read factual accounts during his time, first as Minister of Finance, then as Prime Minister, you will see that he was someone who completely broke the dictatorial mold. He was modest, highly frugal (to the point where he would go as far as diluting the wine he drank as to "make it last") but most of all, very patriotic. He came in after 1926 after the 1st Republic (established in 1910) all but ruined the country, and through tight economic and social reforms, brought peace and stability to the country. He also managed to successfully keep Portugal out of 2 successive wars (the Spanish civil war and WWII). His downfall was due to 3 very important aspects: 1) He didn't invest more in education, which led to decay, namely from High School and up, 2) His ministers tried so much to make a cult of personality (although against his own wishes, believe it or not) that it led to a power vacum once he died. and 3) His corporative model of governing left too much social control to big corporations which ended up leaving little, if any, social programs for those who did not work for said corporations.
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1. Aristides de Sousa Mendes (1885-1954) - Diplomat
#1 definitely goes to one of the unsung heroes of WWII. Named Portuguese Consul in Bordeaux during the German occupation of France, he risked job, freedom and life in order to help over 30,000 refugees, mainly Jewish, from the gas chambers and ovens of Nazi concentration camps. Doing his best to avoid being caught by German authorities as well as a neutral Portuguese government trying not to provoke Germany, Mendes issued thousands of visas into Portugal to these refugees. Many ended up making Portugal their permanent residence afterward.
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| And there you have it. Feel free to drop off a comment and give your opinion. |
