In many instances, the political world is still a slow coach when it comes to breaking down norms. However, the recent economic uptick in Portugal sheds light on the terms left, right, liberal, conservative becoming more and more obsolete. Question without notice (now, now, don't use a search engine, I want you to rely on your good old fashioned general knowledge): Which Portuguese political party cut the budget deficit by 50% (for the first time in 43 years, when the country transformed into a democracy) - was it the (conservative) Social Democratic Party or the Socialist Party? If you answered the latter, then you have been taking notice of the great nation of Portugal.
Now for the part that will be hard for economic rationalists to fathom, as they're known in America: Republicans (I digress on their deceit below, Global Editorial style). The leftist coalition government in Portugal led by Socialist Prime Minister, António Costa has achieved all this by raising living standards and protecting the vulnerable - wages have risen, as have pensions. The next issue to tackle is public debt, always a concern especially for southern European nations.
Those of us with critical thinking skills know how hilarious this is, considering all the Republican Presidents (often aided by Congress and the Senate) that have ballooned out the deficit due to their obsessions over military spending, same ones who get cranky over universal healthcare, maybe because they have a predisposition to killing innocent civilians in war - lot easier than providing a safety net to humans. The uneducated and oldies fall for this claptrap time and time again, being played like fools via wedge issues is the oldest trick in the political manual - an example of today's version is politicians using fear to divide and conquer, whether it's creating hysteria over bathrooms, immigrants, women's bodies.
It's an open secret that these strange creatures are hell-bent on treating humans as a tool to advance their bottom line and encroach on personal freedoms. At least with the current illegitimate occupant of the oval office, they get "Christian" values with all its pussy grabbing virtue, together with business prowess with all its skullduggery and con artistry.
In Portugal, Republicans would be classified as hard right and Democrats center-right - so much for Dems who think they're progressive. If I had a magic wand, I'd disband the two-party system and have at least 10 parties running riot with free thinking ideals. If any party wants to put money before health or medieval thinking (xenophobia) before modernity, they can take a hike to Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. Warning: you'll find plenty of illiberalism there, so much so that you might just get jealous and start gloating about how America is an accepting land, one that even gives freedom of choice on which bathroom to use.
Countries have a habit of getting too caught up in economic indicators, which makes Portugal's efforts of upholding its impressive health record (home to the world's 12th best healthcare system) even more impressive. Doubly so when teetering on the edge of the European economic bubble during the past few years. Next time you take a sip of port wine in Porto, are strolling the 7 hills of majestic Lisbon or find yourself relaxing on Falesia Beach, remember that political myths are being busted on the Iberian Peninsula. The Portuguese are well known for their explorer pedigree, maybe it's time for the rest of the world to start exploring Portugal. You never know your luck in a big country, maybe the U.S. might one day have a President who takes economic and "heavens forbid" healthcare advice from this human-friendly piece of paradise.
