> yet such an incredibly anemic technology industry and space program, essentially zero nuclear power and a joke military whose entire purpose is paying out pen

> yet such an incredibly anemic technology industry and space program, essentially zero nuclear power and a joke military whose entire purpose is paying out pensions Brazil was always a rural country with an extractive economy. The elites don't want a strong military or a strong educated middle class that isn't composed majorly of government employees. Look at our industrialization policies, which are basically excuses for politicians to: - take money from the poor and give to their wealthy benefactors; - protect non-competitive rent-seeking industries which are completely dependant on those policies; - increase tax revenue (why else tax things for each there's not even an industry like microchips?). Look at what was done to FEB veterans. The entire division was disbanded throwing all that valuable institutional knowledge in the garbage. https://gruntsandco.com/snakes-smoking-brazilian-expeditionary-force-ww2/ https://gruntsandco.com/snakes-smoking-brazilian-expeditiona... > essentially zero nuclear power Supposedly Brazil has the full nuclear supply chain and is partially self-sufficient (lack scale). https://www.ipen.br/portal_por/portal/interna.php?secao_id=40&campo=16644 https://www.ipen.br/portal_por/portal/interna.php?secao_id=4...