For these protests to continue and succeed, there must be more focus on what can be accomplished, and away from criticizing what should have been done. The stadiums and sport facilities for the Copa and Olympics are done deals, they cannot be erased at this point in time so why bother protesting them? Why not instead focus on how it was these decisions were made, and change the decision making process and the electoral process if necessary. Focus on accountability, not just for the bus lines (such as by requiring them to pay the fines they incur and by prosecuting bus drivers for the injuries and deaths they cause) but for all of government. Tie elected officials salaries to a multiple of the minimum wage, prohibit their hiring relatives to government jobs, or signing contracts with firms owned or operated by relatives. Require public officials to publish their tax returns and financial statements as a condition for public office. Make lying on those statements a felony level offense, with mandatory time in prison. Make government less attractive to thieves and the thieves will go elsewhere! Government in Brasil is like a mansion full of valuables but with no locks on the doors and no security system, of course it will be robbed.

Personally, I doubt these protests will lead to anything. The current and immediate past Presidents of Brasil rose to power from the street up, organizing and participating in protest movements themselves, and much good has come from their administrations yet much of the corruption remains. Clearly, that corruption is deeply ingrained and will take a massive and sustained effort to be rid of it. Sustained being the key word. Are Brasilians up to the task? Or, is there a free music show on the beach or some other fun social event which requires putting off such serious discussion?

Please don’t get me wrong, I love Brasil and Brasilians. Living in the moment can be a wonderful thing, until the alarm clock goes off. I am from the US but live here by choice. I call Rio the most perfectly imperfect City. But I do see and feel the frustration here, it is real and it requires attention. Quit trading votes for toasters, quit voting for illiterate clowns (though I always add, Tiririca has brought attention to the needs of education in Brasil and is honestly doing what he can on that subject) and devote a few hours each month to doing something on a personal level, big or small, to help. I tried to form a group to repair the Pedras Portuguesas in the sidewalks here in Rio. Guess what? I could not get a single Brasilian to devote one hour per month to helping repair the lovely but neglected and dangerous stone sidewalks of Copacabana so the elderly and mobility impaired could use them without fear of being injured. I have to assume protesting is just more fun.