Opinion, by Michael Royster
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Curmudgeon does not believe that José Genuíno is any more ill than you or I. The Curmudgeon is sure there are at least 50 prisoners in Papuda whose health is worse than that of José Genuíno, but (what a shame for them!) they don’t have PT lawyers representing them, or teary-eyed PT senators visiting them.
So, why is Genuíno getting special treatment? Does he really have a health problem? Or is his problem really that he has become a crybaby, simpering for public sympathy?
“Man up!” as we used to say back when macho was not a dirty word. Dirceu has manned up, Delúbio has manned up, but Genuíno has cringed and whimpered, and (after his pink shirted fist in the air) has disintegrated into a spineless wimp.
Once upon a time, Genuíno was a real man. He fought the military dictatorship, he was associated with armed resistance, particularly the Araguaia Insurgency. He was jailed and served his time (5 years) in jail. But this time he’s resisting jail as hard as he can.
The Curmudgeon is reminded of the Libyan Lockerbie bomber who was caught and convicted and stayed in Scottish jails from 2001 until, in 2009, some Scottish doctors said he was terminally ill with cancer, and should be released on “compassionate” grounds to go home to his family and die in peace, which would surely occur within the next 3 months if not 3 weeks.
Once released, he was received back home in Libya as a hero (duh!) and went to live with his family. Almost 3 YEARS later he finally died—the cancer so virulent in Scotland somehow miraculously ameliorated in Libya where he enjoyed a healthy (and wealthy) life at home.
PT is looking for the same sort of happy ending for José Genuíno, who is only 67 years old and will probably survive the Curmudgeon and almost all our readers over age 60, because The Curmudgeon believes there is nothing seriously wrong with José Genuíno’s health. Yes, he had a heart operation, but he’s been recovering nicely.
Oh, wait, he occasionally has “high blood pressure”—most often when he’s incarcerated, naturally—wouldn’t you? So, this minimal symptom gets him a “get out of jail free” card?
José Genuíno deserves to be in jail, he should stay in jail for the term he was sentenced. Living the Life of Riley at home is far too good for him or any other criminal convicted of his felonies. His posture today is shameless—he’s always believed he could never go to jail (because he’s PT and hence above the law) and he still refuses to believe it.
The Curmudgeon believes that Chief Justice Barbosa has also seen through this medico-political farce, and wants to resist. The Chief Justice is a man whose health is far worse than that of Genuíno: he lives wracked with terrible pain in his back, day in, day out—and he does not complain. He must wonder why Genuíno is complaining.
The Curmudgeon sincerely wishes José Genuíno a long and healthy life, after he serves his time and leaves jail.
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Michael Royster, aka THE CURMUDGEON first saw Rio forty-plus years ago, fetched up on these shores exactly 36 years ago, still loves it, notwithstanding being a charter member of the most persecuted minority in (North) America today, the WASPs (google it!)(get over it!)
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