By Bruno Lima Rocha – from December 2008 ‘til May 2009
The visit of French President Nicolas Sarcozy, staying in Brasil during Christmas week, has brought to the general public a classical theme in politics. Let us see. Our country has fixed as a goal to be a regular member in the United Nations Security Council (UN). During his stay, Sarkozy said that France supports Brazilian permanent seat in this forum for global regulation. And, not coincidentally, the explanation of French vote came with the announcement of a contract costing US$ 2.7 billion in purchases of military equipment and technology transfer from France to Brasil. The package includes five submarines, four conventional and one nuclear. The ships will be built in Rio de Janeiro and sensitive technology incorporated. The same procedure is done in the purchase of 51 helicopters, of which fifty will be assembled in our country. The contracts provide for twenty years of completion and delivery of the total arsenal. Thus we can conclude that this is an approximation of Brasil to France and, consequently, with the European Union.
It is the logic of politics. The sustainable development and economic potential of a country require a degree of deterrence, a capacity to make war and to domain both operational and technological aspects of that activity. The brazilian national issues to defend are clear: the maritime waters, the exclusive economic zone (a 200 thousand miles in Atlantic Ocean) and exploitation of oil in deep water. Once in the territorial range, the State must defend the biodiversity of the Amazon, do a precise border control and expel the so called “foreign researchers” smuggling biotechnology, being paid by the major medical laboratories.
As I said in previous articles, I am affiliated to the ultra-realistic school of policies analysis, including in this subject the international relations. This point of view allows the professional to analyze scenarios and structures providing the ability to understand that war is the operational arm of the diplomatic services, the economic expansion and the ideological projection. From that angle, Lula negotiating with Sarkozy implies that France approached to the G 20. It also means to an experienced observer the perpetuation of brazilian unilateralism in América Latina.
In the real world, playing the no-rules political game, the purchase of arms and technology transfer is the materialization of an alliance. The brazilian counterpoint is, as always, within Latin America. Once again the region leading country exercises its leadership getting back to the neighbors. Then, when all the latinoamericanos accuses Brazil to behave like a small Empire, the national leaders and their ideologues pretend to be surprised.
