McCain is pro-US and non-Brazilian pro-ethanol

Brazilian ethanol lives a good phase, nationally, and internationally. Effective consolidation of ethanol as an automobile fuel after decades of investment and production efforts on the one hand, international recognition of environmental and productive qualities of Brazilian ethanol from another, They make depositemos much of our expectations in ethanol as a capable element of projecting Brazil in the international system.

It is important to note that ethanol is not understood as one thing over time: It was initially conceived as a strategic government project aimed at decreasing the Brazilian dependence on imported oil; then it came to be treated as an environmentally sustainable product that should be adopted to be renewable, which linked him directly with a political and social issue; e, by last, It is being turned into a commodity that must have its place in world trade, without tariff or technical barriers that hinder their movement.

Thus, ethanol in stage, This shall be understood as a product, which is directly linked to economic and productive logic. On the contrary, It is easy to see that there are large economic groups waging a "war" for the promotion of its products.

It is interesting to note how Brazilians are happy with statements like the Republican presidential candidate to US elections, John McCain, according to which "our [USA] government pays to subsidize corn ethanol and, at the same time, charges fees that prevent consumers to benefit from other types of ethanol, like Brazil ".

In a faster reading, it seems that McCain demonstrates interest by the Brazilian product and production conditions more equal among all global producers of ethanol. Remove barriers and remove subsidies are effectively themes dear to Brazilian ethanol producers, but the question is whether they are for the Brazil. McCain does not defend these actions because like Brazil or because they are concerned about the environment. On the contrary, he is representing the real interests of American groups.

McCain's speech is not facing Brazil, but for American voters. Thus, We do not have to isolate the speeches and we're happy to see such support, quite the contrary, we need to understand what they are listening to the American voters. And not only them, the very US political structure, including senators and congressmen here.

It is important to keep in mind that will be much more difficult for McCain to withdraw subsidies than to keep them and Obama, even, increases-the. North American consumers have a very small diffuse and return the subsidy suspension case, in that the final fuel prices marginally suffer very little change. On the other hand, the removal of subsidies directly affect a number of producers, which will have many incentives to mobilize and defend their interests.

In this scenario, while the issue of ethanol does not tend to bring a lot of voters for McCain, the defense of subsidies for Obama is able to attract major producers of maize in the US, which can be translated as a good chance of fundraising for campaigns.

Like this, while in Brazil we mask the idea that ethanol is a product and, therefore, It is directly related to identifiable interest groups, treating it as a matter of national interest, US Obama openly regards as a product and not afraid to speak on behalf of producers, gaining in political realism and articulation capability with the US political classes.

 

Originally published in Journal Author (July 2008)

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