It’s been a long time since I posted anything here, and today I decided to change the usual subject. I want to talk about the country where I live — Brazil — because what is happening here may contribute significantly to a scenario of regional conflicts in the coming years. Brazil was taken over by an ideological government in the early 2000s. With only a few brief exceptions, that same political current has governed the country ever since, consistently placing ideology above pragmatism. And what ideology is that? Communism. Yes — not socialism, but actual communism. They are accelerating the process of driving the largest country in the Southern Hemisphere, the second-largest democracy in the West, and a nation that was once among the world’s eight largest economies into a clear state of decline. Day after day we witness the erosion of freedom of expression, the broader loss of individual liberties, the steady decline of purchasing power, the disappearance of the middle class, and an enormous increase in taxes. All of this is enforced by a tax-collection agency that is, without question, one of the most efficient in the world at what it does — there is simply no equal. There is already open discussion of tighter capital controls as well.Violence has become practically uncontrollable, especially in the northeastern states, the result of a deeply compromised relationship between high-ranking government officials and organized crime. It is difficult to put into words everything we are living through here. In the 1980s — the so-called “lost decade” — the country also suffered economically, yet there was still a sense of hope in the air. Today that hope has vanished. And when hope disappears, love for the country disappears with it.Want an example? Brazil was always known as “the country of football.” It no longer is. The national team now fields players who show little understanding of what it means to wear the famous yellow shirt that once won five World Cups. National identity itself is fading. Perhaps that is exactly the goal of this evil organization that has controlled the country for nearly thirty years. Just look at what is happening in Europe. A family in which the father constantly fights with the mother and both mistreat the children will inevitably fall apart, with each member eventually going their separate way.I can already see Brazil fragmenting geographically in a not-too-distant future. Another major concern is that the country has already lost its demographic window. The population is aging, changing the demographic pyramid. In the next census, which is expected to take place in 2030, it will be the last or second-to-last time the country’s population shows an increase. In some places this change is already quite visible. Yet another important factor blowing against us! The country is simply too large, and its regions are far too distinct from one another. Some regions work and produce to support other regions that contribute little or nothing. Sooner or later, patience runs out. The average citizen who does not have at least part of their assets beyond the government’s reach, who does not hold a second citizenship or at least legal residency in another country, may well end up suffering greatly in a future that is right around the corner — as early as 2027. One thing that particularly strikes me is that, unfortunately, similar processes are unfolding, on a smaller or equal scale, in places that were historically islands of excellence. Many areas in France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom and elsewhere have turned into open-air garbage dumps, unlivable for anyone who still values decency. Not even the United States escapes this trend. Cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia are clearly in decline, and one notices a strange lethargy among the decent people who live there. It seems they have been bitten by a snake and remain numbed by the venom, doing nothing to reverse the situation. Returning to Brazil: the scenario here is one of transition from a democracy toward a totalitarian state, accompanied by a steady worsening of living conditions. That is why, in recent years, I have taken several concrete steps to prepare myself for everything that is unfolding. Have a good weekend, everyone — and prepare yourselves for what is already happening.