Dear Portugal, this is Ireland here.
I know we don't know each other very well, though I hear some of our developers are down with you riding out the recession.
They could be there for a while. Anyway, I don't mean to intrude but I've been reading about you in the papers and it strikes me that I might be able to offer you a bit of advice on where you are at and what lies ahead. As the joke now goes, what's the difference between Portugal and Ireland? Five letters and six months.
Anyway, I notice now that you are under pressure to accept a bailout but your politicians are claiming to be determined not to take it. It will, they say, be over their dead bodies. In my experience that means you'll be getting a bailout soon, probably on a Sunday. First let me give you a tip on the nuances of the English language. Given that English is your second language, you may think that the words 'bailout' and 'aid' imply that you will be getting help from our European brethren to get you out of your current difficulties. English is our first language and that's what we thought bailout and aid meant. Allow me to warn you, not only will this bailout, when it is inevit-ably forced on you, not get you out of your current troubles, it will actually prolong your troubles for generations to come.
For this you will be expected to be grateful. If you want to look up the proper Portuguese for bailout, I would suggest you get your English-Portuguese dictionary and look up words like: moneylending, usury, subprime mortgage, rip-off. This will give you a more accurate translation of what will be happening you.
I see also that you are going to change your government in the next couple of months. You will forgive me that I allowed myself a little smile about that. By all means do put a fresh coat of paint over the subsidence cracks in your economy. And by all means enjoy the smell of fresh paint for a while.
We got ourselves a new Government too and it is a nice diversion for a few weeks. What you will find is that the new government will come in amidst a slight euphoria from the people. The new government will have made all kinds of promises during the election campaign about burning bondholders and whatnot and the EU will smile benignly on while all that loose talk goes on.
Then, when your government gets in, they will initially go out to Europe and throw some shapes. You might even win a few sports games against your old enemy, whoever that is, and you may attract visits from foreign dignitaries like the Pope and that. There will be a real feel-good vibe in the air as everyone takes refuge in a bit of delusion for a while.
And enjoy all that while you can, Portugal. Because reality will be waiting to intrude again when all the fun dies down. The upside of it all is that the price of a game of golf has become very competitive here. Hopefully the same happens down there and we look forward to seeing you then.
Love, Ireland.
Começa com um "Dear Portugal" e desenrola-se em oito parágrafos de conselhos que a Irlanda, país já sob a alçada do FMI, tem para Portugal. "Não quero intrometer-me mas tenho lido sobre vocês nos jornais e acho que estou em condições de vos dar alguns conselhos sobre o que têm pela frente". Assim se inicia uma carta assinada pelo colunista Brendan O'connor, publicada na primeira página da edição do último domingo do ‘Independent'. O poder político é um dos temas fortes. "Sei que estão sob pressão para aceitar um resgate e que os vossos políticos dizem estar determinados em o recusar. Eles dirão que nem por cima dos seus cadáveres. Segundo a minha experiência isso significa que serão resgatados muito em breve, provavelmente a um domingo", antecipa. Brendan O'Connor também esclarece que resgatar e ajudar não são sinónimos. "Dado que o inglês é a vossa segunda língua, talvez possam pensar que as palavras ‘bailout' e ‘aid' significam que serão ajudados pelos nossos irmãos europeus para superar as dificuldades do presente". Na Irlanda, escreve, "o inglês é a nossa língua materna e era isso que nós pensávamos que ‘bailout' e ‘aid' significavam". No entanto, continua, "permitam-me que vos avise: esse ‘bailout' não vai resolver os vossos problemas, vai, provavelmente, arrastá-los para as gerações futuras". A crise política portuguesa também não passou despercebida. "Também sei que vão trocar de governo nos próximos meses (...) Nós também mudámos de Governo e é uma boa diversão durante algumas semanas (...) Verão que o novo governo fará todo o tipo de promessas durante a campanha eleitoral", avisa. O documento termina assim: "Portugal, aproveita enquanto podes porque a realidade estará à espera para irromper novamente quando toda a diversão desaparecer". economico
