Brazil's Election, Measured in One Cut of Beef
Four years ago, Lula promised Brazilians they would be able to afford picanha again. Now, as he seeks another term, the price of the country's favourite cut of beef is telling a different story, NPR reports. That is the appeal of a promise tied to a single grocery item: voters do not need an economist to check it. They just look at the counter.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
Take
Picking one cut of beef as your yardstick is a gamble. It is legible to everyone, which is exactly why you cannot quietly walk it back if the number goes the wrong way.
Pushback
It is a vivid symbol more than a measurement. Whether picanha is affordable and whether life is affordable are two different questions, and only the first one fits on a butcher's sign.