Brazilians Running Wild in the Streets, But it's not a Party this Time

   In a world of protests, we have an uprising in Brazil.
   We saw the Arab Spring. We witnessed the largest demonstrations in Japan in 50 years when they restarted nuclear power plants. Uprisings, here. Uprisings there.
   And, now Brazil. No small thing, this protesting in Brazil. One million people vented in one set of demonstrations, and 250,000 days after that. Compare that to what is considered the largest protest in world history, which, by the way, just celebrated its 10th anniversary. That would be the 10 to 15 million people in roughly 600 cities around the world who on June 15, 2003, protested the Iraq War. Brazil's protesting is counted only within the boundaries of a single country, so raise you eyebrow at how many Brazilians are pouring out into the streets.
   Brazil's mad millions -- about three-fourths of the population is said to support the protesters -- come with many a grievance. They started with anger against rising bus fares, but quickly took on government corruption, education shortcomings, healthcare woes, and various other things. "We were a million people and we each had a different cause!," Cristal Moniz is quoted (in a USA Today article) as saying while sitting on a beach in Copacabana.
  They don't like it that Brazil will spend 7 million reais on stadiums for the 2014 World Cup. That -- just the stadium costs -- is three times what South Africa spent on everything for the 2010 World Cup. Corruption? One must wonder that the contractors are being paid handsomely at the public's expense. 
  They don't like it that the tax rate is 36 percent of the GDP, yet they receive lousy healthcare and education benefits. Corruption? If that tax rate is 36 percent, just where is the money going?
   Off the top, without knowing more, I'd say there is cause for anger.

http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21579857-bubbling-anger-about-high-prices-corruption-and-poor-public-services-boils-over

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/23/brazil-protests/2449079/